


Faithful

by YellowNoteAnon



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Amnesia, Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Mystery, Pining, Romance, Slow Burn, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:08:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 43,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25638547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YellowNoteAnon/pseuds/YellowNoteAnon
Summary: Link awakens in a strange cave, with no idea who he is or what he's doing. What's worse, there's someone waiting for him when he does. Someone who's been waiting a very long time...Since this is an AU, I've taken a few creative liberties.
Relationships: Link/Mipha (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 125
Kudos: 159





	1. Arise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to rush through certain parts of the story, because if you're reading this you played the game just like I did and probably don't want to read about Link spending 30 minutes on a shrine, or a retelling of a cutscene you've seen a million times. The focus will be heavily on what I've changed, which there will be plenty of.

"Link."

  
It was as if a switch had been flipped inside his brain. The alien sensation of existence after an eternity of drifting through an inky void was jarring, enough to send a slight jolt of panic through his slowly awakening body. 

"Open your eyes..."

Partially out of obedience, and partially out of reflex, Link attempted to do so. At first, his body did not want to cooperate. His eyelids stayed firmly shut, spasming painfully as he tried to coax them open. But after a moment, they gave in. Link could feel the blood beginning to recirculate through his body, feeling gradually returning to his extremities. He was...wet? In some kind of stone tub.

"Wake up, Link." 

His eyes finished adjusting as the water finally drained from the tub. The room was dark, lit only by the faint blue lamp above him. The air felt still, but breathable. Link placed either hand on the sides of the tub, grasping as firmly as he could with his still slightly numbed fingers, before hoisting himself up and over the side. His legs began to tremble the moment he hit the floor, threatening to collapse under him. He kept his grip on the tub until he was sure they would hold, hesitantly letting go to step forward. 

"Link." He spun, looking around the room. He was alone, but could very clearly hear someone speaking to him. The voice seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere at the same time.

"Take the Sheikah Slate from the Pedestal." A stone altar lit up at the end of the room, flaring to life seemingly in response. Much like the tub he had just climbed out of, it was stone, with bright veins of orange light coursing through it. After taking a moment to consider his options, Link took a few (shaky) steps forward. A small, ornate stone slab was erected at the top of it. He grabbed it, and it popped free without much resistance, the pedestal turning blue in its absence. He supposed this was the Slate.   
Before he could wonder where this mysterious voice would take him next, the ground beneath him began to shake. The wall in front of him, which Link now realized was actually a large door, had split open to reveal an equally dim hallway ahead. Link waited for a moment, wondering if the voice would have any further instructions, before eventually letting curiosity take over and pressing onward. The sides of the hall were lined with old wooden boxes, barrels, and two ratty looking chests. Curiosity won over once more, and he decided to peak inside. The first chest held a ragged shirt, and the second a matching set of pants, along with a simple pair of boots. Link surmised that these must be for him. Why else would they be sitting here?

He threw them on quickly. A little small, but at the very least he was no longer naked. 

Another stone pedestal sat at the end of the hall, pulsing with orange light. Link stumbled over to it, noticing a thin slot in the center. He glanced down at the slate for a moment before positioning it over the slot. Sure enough, it fit in smoothly.

More shaking. A bit of dust flew outward as the wall ahead split open. A bright light pierced the once dim room, stinging Link's eyes for a moment. He squinted until they could properly adjust. 

"Link..." the voice called out to him once more. It spoke with an encouraging, yet disheartened tone. "You are the light.....the light that must shine upon Hyrule once more......Now go." 

He hesitated, staring out into the open air. Some base instinct inside of him didn't want to leave the confines of this cave...and yet, he was already moving, as if being slowly pushed out by some invisible force. He hadn't realized he was cold until the warm rays of the sun hit him, or how stale the air had been inside that cave. He stretched, loosening out his joints, truly coming to life as he took in the sight before him. From this point, he could see most of Hyrule stretched out ahead. Sprawling plains, towering mountains, endless forests. 

  
Where exactly was he supposed to go? 

It was then that Link came to a sudden, rather startling realization: He had been operating mostly on the instinct of his sleep addled mind up until now, not bothering to question his situation. He had followed the voice almost automatically, but who was it? Why were they speaking to him?  
  
Furthermore, who was Link?   
  
He looked down at himself in thought. His name was Link. He was a Hylian. He ran a hand across his face. No facial hair, not even stubble. He can't have been that old. Now that he really considered it, that's all he knew. His name was Link, he was a Hylian boy, in the land of Hyrule. Nothing else came to mind. There were very foggy events, on the very tip of his mind and yet unable to be clearly recalled, like a painting that had been stained by water. What was he supposed to do now? He was 'The light that must shine on Hyrule once again.' according to some disembodied voice in a cave. What did that mean? Was any of that even real? Had he imagined it? Was all of this a dream?   
  
The sinking feeling in Link's gut was overcome by a sudden, new sensation. His entire dilemma was put on hold as he realized that, in his panic, he had glossed over something important he DID know about himself:  
  
He was Hungry.  
  
One problem at a time, he thought to himself, and resolved to put his existential crisis on hold long enough to find some food. Definitely because food is vital to survival, and not because he wasn't ready to confront such a heavy line of thought at the moment. Food, he remembered what that was, at the very least.   
  
Link's belt had, thankfully, come with a clasp for the Sheikah Slate (further reinforcing the idea that these clothes were left for him). He hooked it there carefully before turning away from the breathtaking (but admittedly overwhelming) view, and to a small slope leading down the hill to his right. And as he did so, he noticed a figure watching him. They had tried to turn away before he noticed, but it was too late. They were tall, even sitting down, and draped in a long, grey hooded cloak. It was segmented, with the top half stretching quite far behind their head (to conceal a massive head of hair, Link assumed). He paused for a moment, squinting, before slowly making his way down the hill and towards his mysterious observer. They sat by a slowly fading campfire under a small overhanging cliff. A shining, silver spear was tucked against the wall next to them, and a single apple sat by the edge of the fire. Only as he got closer did Link realize that he had no idea what to say. 'Hey, I noticed you watching me and figured I'd come say hello?' They turned their head to look at him, and he came to a stop just before the campfire. Link could see little of their facial features between the hood and the shade of the overhang, but they were rather pale from what little he could make out.   
  
The two of them remain locked in awkward silence for a moment, before the stranger finally spoke.   
  
"......Is there...something I can help you with?" Link flinched immediately as she did so. The voice was soft, feminine, and carried a comforting sort of warmth. He was almost certain he had heard this voice somewhere before, but where? He stepped closer, leaning in to get a better look at them, and the stranger stood in response.   
  
Link realized then that he had been only partially correct in his assessment of her height. She was indeed tall. More than double Link's height, in fact, and wider than him to boot. He stepped back as her imposing figure loomed over him.   
  
_"Excuse me!"_ She chided in a firmer tone, as one might do to a misbehaving child. "Is there something you need?"   
  
Link opened his mouth to speak, but still words failed him. He hadn't any idea what he was supposed to say in a situation like this. He looked away sheepishly, casting his gaze towards the fire. And as he did so, his eyes drifted naturally towards the apple lying beside it. It was round, plump, juicy looking, and seemed to have been ever so slightly baked by it's time near the flames. Link realized he had been staring at it for longer than he meant to, and shifted back to the stranger.   
  
"Oh, I see now." She began sweetly, "You must be hungry, is that it?"   
  
He was indeed very, very hungry. Regardless, Link shook his head. Something about taking an apple from a stranger seemed wrong to him. His stomach, unfortunately, had no such qualms. It growled loudly, and the stranger giggled, before leaning down to pick the apple up and hand it to Link.  
  
"Go on, take it." Link's stomach cried out in protest once more before he could say anything else. And with a small sigh, he took the apple, conceding defeat. His attempt at courtesy had crumbled, and any residual effort went with it the moment he bit into the fruit. Link was fairly sure that he had eaten an apple before (how else did he know what it was?) but as far as he was concerned right now, it was the greatest thing he had ever tasted. He gulped down the small bite he had taken at first without chewing, and immediately went in for a larger one. Within seconds, he had completely devoured the apple (Minus the core, which he placed gently by the fire). The stranger gave another amused giggle, before returning to their seat.  
  
"Come, sit with me a moment."   
  
She seemed kind, and at the moment Link still had no idea what to do with himself, so he sat.   
  
"Tell me, little one, what is your name?"  
  
"Link." It was the first word he had spoken in ages, if the stiffness of his throat was any indication. Hearing his own voice felt strange, he had almost forgotten what it sounded like.   
  
"Hm. That is a lovely name. You may call me...Ruto."  
  
Link's brow furrowed. The name didn't at all sound familiar, perhaps he had been mistaken.   
  
"So, Link, what brings you here? It is exceedingly rare to see new faces on the Plateau." He paused for a moment, once again unsure of how to respond. Surely she must have seen it. The wall of a mountain suddenly opening up, and him stepping out. But would she be asking if she didn't? Would she have reason to hide it from him?  
  
Ultimately, Link settled on a shrug.  
  
"Hm. I see." There was an ever so slight hint of disappointment in her voice. She knew something. She had to, there's no way she didn't. "And, do you know where we are?"   
  
Link shook his head slowly, and Ruto gave another small 'Hm' before continuing.  
  
"This is the Great Plateau. The birthplace of all Hyrule, as the legends go. It would certainly explain all the old ruins dotting the place. I come here every year on a camping trip, to visit an old friend. It is very secluded, seeing as there's little in the way of getting on or off it without flight or intense climbing."   
  
....  
  
"Link."   
  
He jumped a little, causing Ruto to tilt her head from across the fire. That hadn't been her voice, but the one from inside the cave.  
  
"Link. Take the Sheikah Slate to the Marker." it called to him.  
  
Marker? What marker?   
  
Link pulled the Slate from where he had clasped it to his belt, and it lit up as he did so. A black background with strange, blue lines greeted him. On it were 3 symbols, one blue and two yellow. Tentatively, Link pressed his finger against the blue symbol on the screen. Text appeared above it, reading;   
  
The Shrine of Resurrection....  
  
Had he been somehow brought back from the dead?  
  
He decided the time to question that would come later, and tried very hard to force the thought from his mind. Next, he tapped a yellow triangular symbol. 'Link' it read. Finally, a yellow circle. This one simply said 'Objective.' This must be some kind of Map, he concluded. Link glanced over at Ruto, who had leaned over to get a better look at the slate.   
  
"Ah." She said softly, before leaning back.   
  
Link gave her a scrutinizing look, trying and failing to gauge her reaction from behind the hood. Were slates like this common? He returned it to his belt before standing up and stretching a little.   
  
"Thanks for the apple." Link said with a short nod. He rose, and had begun to walk off to the north in search of the mark when Ruto's hand shot out to grab his wrist. Her hand felt....strange. Not quite like skin. He looked down, and noticed that it was a vibrant shade of red on the top, with the underside of her wrist and palms being a pale white. Claw-like yellow nails protruded from her fingertips. He had been so fixated on the apple that he hadn't noticed her strange hand before. She pulled back immediately under his gaze with a nervous gasp.  
  
"......Forgive me, but if you really must be going, at least take this with you." She plucked the silver spear from it's resting place by the fire, and handed it to Link. It was rather light despite it's size, and decorated with bits of blue metal that looked almost like gemstones. He looked back to Ruto, squinting.  
  
"Oh, do not worry about me. I have another back at camp. Besides, it is dangerous out there with all the monsters running around. I would hate for something to happen to you." He kept his eyes locked onto her skeptically, before taking a step back and adjusting the spear in his hands. Link spread his legs, dipping into a wide stance. It came to him almost automatically, the positions and the movements. He gave the spear a testing thrust into the air before him, sliding his foot forward in the dirt, then hopped back and delivered two more in quick succession. It's weight felt familiar in his hands.  
  
Had he been a soldier before....this? It would certainly explain a few things.  
  
"Your hands are a bit out of position, but otherwise not bad." Ruto commented.  
  
Link turned his attention back to her, rising into his usual stance. He tried one last time to rack his brain about where he had seen this strange woman before, but nothing came to him.   
  
"Thanks." He said with a small sigh.  
  
"Think nothing of it. Now, do not let me keep you from your business......and, Link?"  
  
He turned back to her, already mid-stride.  
  
"Do be careful."   
  
Another small nod, and he was off.   
  
As he slowly made his way towards the mark, the Hylian's eyes and mind alike began to wander. Ruto's observation about the multitude of ruined structures along the Plateau had been accurate. Link could see a row of crumbling walls and houses off to the west. His feet brushed against the battered cobbles of a road, long lost to the earth. He passed what looked like the remains of a fountain. And a ways behind him sat the crown jewel; a towering building made of stone, bearing the frames of ornate windows that had likely shattered ages ago. Giant, spider-like figures were spread around it. On the floor, clinging to walls, sticking out of windows....they looked like statues, very odd statues. The choice in decoration perplexed Link.   
  
In contrast to the grand, time-worn ruins of ancient Hyrule, the Plateau was also home to several more recent looking signs of civilization. Simple campsites, with fires and crude wood spits constructed over them. Occasionally they had some barrels, boxes, and even watchtower-like structures alongside them. But they were all abandoned. Strangely enough, the remaining embers were still warm at some of them, as if their inhabitants had only recently left. Did one of them belong to Ruto? Was this a popular camping spot? Yet more questions to be saved for later, Link decided.  
  
After hiking up a small dirt mound, Link popped the Sheikah Slate free to glance at it's directions once more, and found the little yellow dot was very close now. He looked up, spotting a bigger mound of dirt not far from where he now stood, with a rather large hole in the side of it. Replacing the slate, Link broke into a jog. His legs had almost fully adjusted to action again, and the feeling of being able to run was oddly satisfying. As Link rounded the side of the mound, he found another one of those pedestals, like the ones he had seen in The Shrine of Resurrection. He placed the slate into it, like he had done before, and a message flashed across the screen.   
  
"Sheikah Tower Activated."  
  
What?  
  
"Please watch for falling rocks."  
  
_What?_  
  
Before the poor boy could process this information, the ground began to quake. Not a small rumble like when the shrine doors had opened, but a violent tremor that threatened to knock him off his feet. Birds shot into the sky with angry chirps and screeches, and before Link had time to grab onto something for support, the floor beneath him burst upward. He was instantly thrown off his feet, landing on his back with a painful 'thud.' Link thought better than to try getting up as he was brought high up into the sky, the momentum practically pinning him in place. He lay there in panicked silence, until his ascent finally halted with one final shake.   
  
Link got slowly to his feet, rubbing his aching back a little. From the looks of things, he was now several hundred feet above the ground. Maybe several thousand. His stomach churned painfully as the Hylian cast a glance over the side, threatening to spit up the apple he had eaten. The platform lacked protective railing, aside from a small lip along the edges. One wrong step and.....  
  
A high pitched noise came from the center of the tower, drawing Link's attention back to the slate. A new message had appeared:  
  
"Distilling local information."   
  
A large stone pillar jutted downward from the tower's ceiling. It lit up with a soft blue glow, that started at the top and slowly condensed until it reached the tip. Strange symbols (Sheikah, Link assumed) flashed across it, before a drop of what appeared to be neon blue liquid fell from the pillar and onto the Slate.   
  
"Regional map extracted."   
  
The message vanished, and in its place came the map from earlier. A large section in the middle flashed blue, before fading into a more colorful, detailed map. On it, Link could clearly see the whole of the Great Plateau down to the minute details. Forests, ponds, mountains.....the display vanished after a moment, and the Sheikah Slate spun in place before the terminal raised it up, seemingly having ended the strange process.   
  
No sooner had Link refastened it to his belt than a familiar voice called out to him.   
  
"Remember..." There it was again. That strange, disembodied woman's voice. "Try to remember...."  
  
A piercing, golden light on the horizon caught his attention. It shone from the top of a massive castle, looming in the distance. Hyrule Castle, Link remembered. He stepped as close to the edge of the tower as his nerves would allow, trying to get a better look at the blinding shape. For the third time in the past 10 minutes, the ground beneath Link shook violently, and a great billowing cloud spread up around Hyrule Castle. Thick, black, with streaks of red running through it. It twisted and swirled like an angry storm.  
  
"You have been asleep for the past 100 years....When the Beast regains its power, this world will meet its end....you must hurry Link, before it is too late..."  
  
The storm rose, condensing into a ball. And from that cloud sprouted a large, fearsome creature. The disembodied head of a boar, with burning yellow eyes and unnaturally wide jaws. It let out a fearsome roar, which Link could hear clearly even if distantly.  
  
And then, all it once, the boar head dissipated back into the smoke around the castle. The light faded. And Link felt painfully alone. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Critique is of course welcomed, I'd much rather "I didn't like it and here's why" than nothing at all. Just keep it constructive please c:


	2. A Proposal

In a way, he had come to recognize The Voice. It had a sort of Presence to it that he could feel. And right now, he didn't feel it. All he felt was Confusion. Anxiety. Dread. Why had he been asleep for a hundred years? What was this 'Beast'? Why was he expected to fight it? What was he supposed to do? These were all questions a normal person would be asking. 

But Link wasn't normal, was he?

Like the storm around Hyrule Castle, turmoil raged inside of Link. Of course, he was scared. Scared not only by the physical threat that this 'Beast' posed, but of the responsibility thrust on him by some ethereal being. By the fact that he was now alone in this great, wide, doomed world with nothing but the clothes on his back. He had no memories, if he truly had been asleep for 100 years then all of his family and friends were certainly dead. He had no life, no worth, and yet this great mysterious duty was expected of him nonetheless. 

And yet, Link knew what needed to be done. It was like an instinct, ingrained deep into his mind. He couldn't explain or control it, and it scared him. It cared not for his own plight, for his fear. There was no time for weakness. There was work to be done, and Link needed to do it. He recalled the invisible force that compelled him to leave the Shrine of Resurrection. It was there again, tugging at him, at his very being. Link's thoughts were certainly his own, but at the same time it felt like there was someone else entirely guiding Link. They had no thoughts, no emotions, they weren't an entity that Link could at all identify or interact with, but a driving force. 

Link didn't like it. 

He felt in control, at the very least. He had the final say in his actions, but that force was always there, like a firm hand on his shoulder. It was both reassuring and terrifying. Right now, it was pushing Link towards Hyrule Castle. He would be able to resist it, but it was uncomfortable. It left him feeling restless, incomplete, unfulfilled.

"Link!" The hairs on the back of his neck stood at attention. Link was getting very tired of unseen voices calling his name at random intervals. 

He recognized this voice though, and it was not the mysterious one that seemed to call out from Hyrule Castle. He looked over the side of the tower to find Ruto waving animatedly at him.

"Could you come down here please? Carefully, of course!" 

As he peered over the edge, Link noticed several smaller platforms jutting out of the tower. They descended in a spiral pattern, seemingly to act as a fast way down. And so, against his better judgement, Link jumped over the lip of the tower and onto the first ledge. Adrenaline pumped through him as he made several more quick, but small hops down the platforms. Finally, he hit the floor. Though he was a bit shaken, Link was simultaneously impressed at his own agility. The movements felt practiced, like with the spear. 

"Link, how did you-...the tower....you...how?" Ruto stammered. 

Link offered only a shrug in response.

"What, you just....stumbled across it and happened to put the Sheikah Slate in?"

A nod.

He couldn't tell because of her hood, but Link was almost certain Ruto was scowling at him. 

"And, what exactly happened atop that tower?" 

"I got a pretty good view of Hyrule." he stated simply. 

Ruto gave a loud sigh, pressing a palm against her face. 

"You're a terrible liar, Link. Though I suppose I'm in no position to begrudge you for keeping secrets."

"No, you aren't." He replied indignantly.

"At least answer me this: Where do you plan to go now?" 

Link thought on this a moment. At first, he didn't truly know. But then the tugging feeling in his chest resurfaced. 

"You first. Tell me why you're so interested in my affairs." 

"I-...wha-....I'm merely looking out for a fellow traveler, that's all! It's dangerous out here, and..." She could tell from Link's expression that he wasn't buying it. "....Fine. If I answer, you'll tell me where you're going?"

Another nod.

"Very well. You may recall that I am here visiting a friend. I've come here to visit that friend every year, for a hundred years." Link's eyes widened as the gears in his head began to turn. If the voice was to be believed....

He reached a hand up towards her hood, only to realize he was far too short. Ruto chuckled, in a sad sort of way.

"You know how long it has been, then." She knelt, so that they were at eye level. It was still difficult to see much of her face, but Link could barely make out the glint of yellow eyes. 

"I understand that this is frustrating, Link. But your mind is in a fragile state right now. Believe me, I would love nothing more than to dispense with this charade, but I fear revealing too much at once would overwhelm you." 

"I can handle it." His annoyance was slowly rising. Link's lack of memories had been gnawing at him from the moment he stepped outside, and if she knew something, he needed to hear it. 

Ruto shook her head softly, staring into the dirt. 

"You must understand. We weren't sure you would survive, many remain convinced you are still dead. That I am a fool for coming here every year, for holding out hope all this time. I have not come this far only to squander it by being impatient. We have waited 100 years for this, surely we can wait a little longer." 

".....We?" Link cocked his eyebrows. 

"Well, we were rather close friends, you and I. It is unfortunate that your memories were lost in this process, but......Oh, forgive me, I cannot say it." Ruto shook her head.

"Just say it." 

There was a long pause while Ruto continued to stare at the ground. Eventually, she took a deep breath and looked back up to Link. She took one of his hands in hers, giving it a gentle squeeze. It was very cold. 

"Even if it is a bit naive, and even if you don't know it yet, I like to think that somewhere deep down, you are happy to see me. Or at least will be, when the time comes." Her voice was heavy with despair and hope. It left a sinking feeling in Link's gut, made his jaw clench, and made it very difficult for him to be angry at her. "But I vowed that I would always protect you. And I intend to uphold that, even if it comes at the cost of my own desires." As he stared into her eyes, Link realized they were more of a soft amber. The longer he stared into them, the more lost he began to feel, until a sudden shock ran through his system. It was much like when he had just awoken inside the Shrine, as if he was somehow being electrocuted through her hands. His vision swam, his body became numb, and all at once the world around him vanished into an unintelligible swirl of colors. Slowly, the world around him began to refocus. It stopped at some strange midpoint, where Link could just barely make out his surroundings in minor detail. 

_He was cold. Just a little. And knee-deep in a pond by the looks of things. His hand was still clasped in another, a little smaller than his own. He looked up, but the figure was blurred, a vague impression marred by his damaged mind. Like smudged ink, save for one vivid detail: A set of warm, amber eyes._

_He could hear them speaking, but their voice was much like their body. Hazy, distorted. Link screwed up his face in concentration, trying very hard to understand them, but still only bits and pieces came to him._

_"....I.....ink...I....ha......ou.........."_

_He squeezed their hand harder, and tried to speak, but nothing would come out. Not because he couldn't think of what to say, but because his throat could produce no sound. The figure reached a hand towards his face, and all at once the world was spinning again. Now he was on top of a high peak with this strange figure, basking in the warm midday sun. Again, and they were running through a field. Again, and he was laying on his back. They were gripping Link by the shoulders, shaking him violently. Their distant voice became slowly louder, and more clear._

_"Link."_

_She was calling to him._

_"Please!"_

_He opened his mouth again, and this time sound came out. But instead of words, it was only a hacking, wheezing cough._

**"Link!"**

He gasped sharply, the world coming back into focus around him. The real world. Ruto had stopped shaking him, but her nails were still digging into his shoulders. 

"I-Im fine." He choked out, heaving for air. Ruto waited until his breathing returned to normal to finally let go.

"What was that? Are you alright?" Her voice was laden with worry. 

"I'm fine." he repeated more forcefully, "Just....saw some things. Memories, I guess."

"Do you mind my asking what?"

"Nothing coherent. A bunch of random things, in different places. I was holding hands with someone, then they were shaking me, and then...." Link pressed a hand against his left shoulder, pulling away with a tiny bit on blood on the palm. 

"Oh! Forgive me, I....you scared me." 

"I can tell." He remarked dryly. 

"Here, allow me to-" Ruto stretched a hand toward him but stopped short. She remained there for a moment, deliberating about something, before dropping the hand to her side. "No. No, I can't. Do you see now? Do you see why I must be so careful? If something as simple as that set you off, imagine..." She trailed off, and rose to her feet. Link sighed in exasperation. She was right, he knew it. His desire to know more about his past was offset by the lingering shock of what had happened. 

Turning, he pointed towards Hyrule Castle. 

"You wanted to know where I'm going." 

"Hyrule Castle? Are you sure?"

Link nodded.

"But why?"

"Because I have to." Link put on a cold front as he spoke, forcing his rising nerves down. "Nobody else is going to do it." It was the truth. Even if he hated it, even if it scared him, he would need to face this eventually. Whatever 'this' was. Hyrule needed him, after all. 

"Oh, Link." She sighed wistfully, "Not a memory to your name, and yet you haven't changed. Still, that's not quite what I meant. How do you know what's happening at Hyrule Castle?" 

"I don't." Link shrugged. 

"I'm not sure I follow. Why-"

"I'll explain later." He cut her off, "It's going to be a while anyway. There are things I want to take care of first." 

"What sort of things?" Ruto tilted her head. 

"I want to figure out more about my past. Starting with you." He jabbed an accusatory finger into her stomach, which was surprisingly solid. 

"Well, it just so happens I can help you with both of those things. However, I need you to do something for me first. Follow me, please." Ruto turned off towards the west, at what must have been a casual walk for her. For Link, it was more akin to a jog. They came over the top of a small hill, and she pointed towards a squat, stone building in the distance. Link recognized it as being made from the same material as both the Sheikah Slate and Tower. Veins of orange light ran through it, and a large eye symbol was stationed towards the top. This too he recognized from the tower and slate. 

"I must admit, my own knowledge of Sheikah technology is rudimentary at best. However, I was told that your usage of these Shrines was vital. There are four of them on the Plateau. I don't know what exactly they entail, only that they are designed to test and somehow revitalize you. So, how about we cut another deal?" Ruto turned to look down at him. "After every shrine, I will tell you a little more about myself to try and help restore your memories. After the fourth, I will help you leave the Great Plateau."

"What's to stop me from just climbing down?"

"The walls surrounding the Plateau have crumbled towards the bottom, but the top remains mostly in-tact. You can climb up, albeit with much practice, but there is nothing for you to hang from should you attempt to climb down. Jumping would be suicide." 

Reluctantly, Link extended a hand, and she shook it.

"Fine." 

They continued their walk in silence, until coming across another of the abandoned campsites Link had seen. It was perched just on the edge of a large pond, across from which lay the shrine. Link decided now was the time for that particular question.

"Do other people camp here? I've seen a couple of these, all empty." Ruto shook her head, stopping next to him.

"No, these were constructed by monsters. As part of my yearly visit, I clear them off the Plateau. I did not have time for the ones in the mountains this year, regretfully."

"Every year? Where do they come from?"

"Oh, being minions of Ganon, they-"

But Link had stopped listening. Her voice grew distant, and he felt the blood in his face drain.

_Ganon._

He didn't know why, but he immediately felt on edge. The word left a sickening anxiety in him, caused him to tense at the shoulders. His breathing grew labored, and the world around him was spinning again. It was not quite like his previous rush of memories, not quite as strong. He still felt grounded in reality, but he was seeing things. Horrible, terrible things. A great black cloud, much like the one circling Hyrule Castle. A village up in flames. People were screaming, crying. A blinding flash of blue light, some great deformed looking monster. 

Her. That figure again. 

Look shook his head rapidly, and the visions were gone as soon as they had come. Ruto merely stood, watching him. She didn't bother asking if he was OK, because she knew. 

"Forgive me, I hadn't realized-"

"Don't apologize." Link released the fist he had been clenching, exhaling deeply. "Ganon....that's...that thing at the Castle, isn't it?" 

Ruto nodded gravely. 

"Let us not focus on that now, however. Are you still hungry? We could have a bite to eat before you enter the Shrine." Link nodded, feeling his stomach quiver slightly at the thought of food. It had graciously stopped complaining after the first apple, but he could certainly have a bit more. 

His curiosity rose as she approached one of the wooden barrels he had seen. It was a little over half the size of Link, and Ruto lifted it off the ground with one arm, wrenching the lid off with the other. It seemed absolutely tiny in comparison. Dropping the lid, she reached in and pulled out another apple. Link accepted it, digging in without waiting for an invitation. Much like the last one, it was gone in seconds. Next she pulled out an entire raw drumstick, belonging to a bird of some sorts perhaps. 

"Hold this." She said, handing it to Link. He stared at it for a moment, before giving it a quick sniff. He vaguely remembered meat, and that it tasted good. "I said hold, do not eat it yet." She said, mildly amused.

"Why not?" 

"Because it's raw, silly!" 

"And?" 

"Hylians cannot eat raw meat. It makes you sick." 

He thought about this for a moment, remembering another question.

"You aren't Hylian, are you?" Ruto giggled softly, setting the barrel down. 

"We shall discuss that when you return from the Shrine." She knelt down next to the fire, grabbing an odd looking black stone nearby. She dashed it against another rock, and sparks flew out of it onto the campfire. It took a few tries before her efforts yielded fire. "You taught me how to do that, you know." 

Link's brow furrowed, it did seem familiar somehow. What was it....

"Flint." He said aloud as the word came to him.

"Very good. Now, how about this: I'll cook that while you're inside. It'll be waiting when you come out, and I can tell you about how Not-Hylian I am." 

He handed the raw meat to her with a short nod, before turning off towards the pond. Without much thought, he dove straight into the cool water, all too late realizing he didn't know if he could swim. Much to Link's relief, the movements came to him naturally, and he was kicking through the water in no time. His clothes were now soaked, but truth be told he didn't care. It was mildly uncomfortable at worst. 

He stepped out of the pond, and onto the platform in front of the Shrine. The terminal there was much like previous ones, only there was no slot or hole for the Slate. Link stared at it for a moment, before pressing the slate into the terminal in the blind hope that something would happen. There was a brief whirring (thankfully no shaking) and the orange lights on the bottom half of the Shrine turned blue. The metal blockade over the doorway of the Shrine opened up, revealing nothing but a blue circle within. 

Link stepped forward onto it, the circle flashed once, and the floor beneath him slowly sank into the earth. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part of me wonders if I should've tried harder to conceal her identity to the reader but eeeeehhhhhh
> 
> Also, am I using too many line breaks? Feels like I am but I can't really tell.


	3. Animotophobia

Link wasn't quite sure what he had expected to find inside the Shrine. But regardless, the massive underground construct took him entirely by surprise. Smooth stone walls and floors, an impossibly high ceiling of glowing blue glass, flowing channels of water, how had all of this been built? How far underground was he?  
  
The first room contained another pedestal. The Sheikah were quite fond of these, apparently. He inserted the slate, and witnessed a repeat of what had happened atop the Tower; A strange pillar dripping some sort of liquid. Only this time, instead of filling out a map, the Sheikah Slate had gained a new function. A rune, as the slate called it.   
  
'Magnesis' 

  
It granted Link the ability to manipulate metal objects from afar, and thus the test began. Large slabs of metal were strategically placed over holes, doorways, and gaps across platforms, and he needed the slate to reposition them. It was incredibly simple, and yet Link couldn't help but feel good about himself for completing it.   
  
The Shrine had also tested Link on another skill, one he had been curious about his prowess in. Combat.  
After using magnesis to shift some stone blocks out of the way with a metal one, Link came across a peculiar looking creature. It was made of the same material as the slate, metallic looking but definitely stone. It stood on 3 clawed, spider-like legs, and had a singular glowing blue eye. It reminded Link much of the statues adorning the temple he had seen earlier, but much much smaller. He wondered at the Sheikah construct's purpose, stepping towards it, and was greeted by a sharp blow to the chest that knocked him clean onto his back. After getting over the shock, it took him but a moment to recover. It had fired a beam of blue light, not strong enough to injure Link, but definitely strong enough to hurt. The second time around, he noticed the machine charging it and stepped easily out of the way. In one fluid motion, he leapt forward and loosed the silver spear Ruto had gifted him, plunging it into the creature's 'eye'. It bounced off, but left a noticeable crack in the glassy lense. Link backed away, observing as it skittered around him. Another shot, another dodge, and he took the opening to strike again. He kept his arms loose, letting the first strike bounce off the eye, but put his full weight into the followup thrust. It slid through, piercing what he had assumed to be the head, and the machine twisted and writhed for a moment before the light and energy alike faded from it. Link pried the spear loose, and a couple of odd parts came out with it. Gears, springs, some kind of bolt. He stuffed what little he could into the pockets of his trousers. They must be valuable to someone, somewhere.   
  
A most bizzare sight awaited at the end of the Shrine. A shriveled, old body sitting cross-legged on a raised platform. It seemed as if all the meat and fluid had been sucked from it ages ago, leaving only pallid grey skin and bones. Curiously, its massive white hair looked to be very much intact. It was surrounded by a blue, transparent box. Link reached out to touch it, and it shattered on contact, shards flying everywhere before vanishing. Then, a voice began to speak. Much like the one from earlier, it resonated inside Link's head, like they were projecting their voice into his mind.   
  
_"You have proven to possess the resolve of a true hero."_ Their voice was calm, disciplined, bordering on monotone. He couldn't be sure, but it sounded more masculine than not.   
  
_"I am Oman Au, the creator of this trial. A humble monk, blessed with the sight of Goddess Hylia and dedicated to helping those who seek to defeat Ganon."_ There it was again. That awful name, and the unexplainable tension that came with it. _"With your arrival, my duty is now fulfilled. In the name of the Goddess Hylia, allow me to bestow this gift upon you...Please accept this Spirit Orb."_  
  
A silvery ball of light pooled in between the monk's still hands, and slowly crept outward towards Link. He reached for it, but it slid past his hands and straight into his chest, causing him to jump back at the strange, warm sensation. Up until now, Link had been hiding his pain. Not just from Ruto, but from himself too. He had done it without even thinking, perhaps another instinct picked up in his past. Only now that the pain was gone did he realize it was ever there. He could feel his bruised spine, his burnt chest, and his pierced shoulders mending.   
  
_"May the Goddess smile upon you."_ and with that, the monk began to glow. Piece by piece, they vanished into thin strips of green light, gone with the nonexistent wind. Link wondered if they were alive, or if he had been spoken to by a spirit, seperated from it's corpse. Mind buzzing, He began his trek back out of the Shrine.  
  
\------  
  
The experience had left Link with more questions than it did answers. 'You have proven to possess the resolve of a true hero.' All he had done was solved a few puzzles, and stabbed a machine. There was hardly anything heroic about that. Had the monk been referring to something else? Perhaps the fact that he was awake at all was a feat of sorts. This led Link to his next question, who was he? Not just his identity, but _what_ was he? He was agile, good with a spear, tough. Both the Sheikah monk and the Voice seemed convinced he was going to fight...Ganon...whatever Ganon was. Had that been his duty one hundred years ago? But if it was...  
  
Then he had failed.   
  
If he had failed before, did anyone truly expect him to succeed now? He had nothing. No memories, no money, no power, a decent spear arm at the absolute most.   
Link had swam through the pond, and trudged back to the campfire without even realizing it. He took a seat next to Ruto, who was still roasting the bird leg over the fire. The two found themselves in yet another silent staring contest as Link considered his options. Part of him wanted to ask about his past, wanted to know, and yet part of him relished the ambiguity. Mere minutes ago he was chomping at the bit to figure out anything he could, but now, he wasn't so sure. If he was part of some grand battle being waged across a hundred years, maybe he didn't want to know it just yet. He didn't care if it was weak, or if it made the tugging in his chest worse, maybe he would take comfort in his ignorance while he could.   
  
But the inviting smell of roasted meat was making it difficult to remain focused on such things for long. Yet again, Link forced his emotions, his doubts, and his fears into the back of his mind to think about food.   
  
"Is it done?" Ruto asked, following his gaze. "I think it is, but you've always had a better eye for this sort of thing."   
The drumstick was now a dark brownish color as opposed to its earlier pink. Link stroked his chin, squinting at it, before shrugging. He had tried to eat it raw moments ago, how did she expect him to know if it was cooked?   
  
"Only one way to find out." He replied. She began to hold it out to him, but stopped halfway.   
  
"What happened here?" Ruto pointed a clawed fingertip at his chest, and Link looked down to find part of his shirt had been thoroughly scorched by the Sheikah machine's attack. He pulled the collar down a little, and while there was no mark from the skirmish inside the shrine, multiple scars lined the width of Link's chest. Some were small, the work of a sword perhaps. Others were bigger, and in strange shapes, shapes you don't get from being cut by a weapon. He pulled the shirt back up hastily, eager not to think about it, and Ruto seemed to catch on. She placed the meat in his hands with a gentle nod.   
  
"Just making sure you're alright."   
  
Link supposed he had more or less brushed Ruto off until now. Not in the sense that he was ignoring her, or that he wasn't interested in figuring out her mysterious identity, but he hadn't truly considered the fact that she claimed to be his friend. A very close friend. She seemed genuine, good natured, but she was still keeping secrets from him. She wouldn't even show her face, and he was almost certain 'Ruto' was an alias. He couldn't recall any experience to tie it to, but Link knew how fronts worked, and an amnesiac boy fresh out of a 100 year coma was an easy target for all manner of exploitation.   
  
Surely if she wanted something out of him, she could've taken it by force. In comparison to her, Link was the size of a child, and he knew nothing of her skill in combat. She had commented on his hands being out of position with the spear earlier, that had to be something. It was unsettling to think about, yet simultaneously comforting, the notion that she could've simply overpowered him at any time instead of beating around the bush with this ruse.   
  
What would he do without her help anyway? Unless the Voice decided to make another surprise appearance, he was lost. Completely, utterly lost. Even if she refused to share it with him, she must have a plan of sorts. Or a home they could go back to.   
  
If she had been alive all this time, did Link have other friends? Were other people waiting for him? Did he have enemies?   
  
"Link? Is something wrong?"  
  
He was staring again. How long had he been staring at her for?   
  
"Sorry. Just....thinking." He heard her inhale, as if she was about to say something, and then let the breath out after a short pause. Link was grateful that she wasn't going to pry.   
  
He turned his attention back to the bird leg. He had resolved to stop wallowing in his anxiety and eat just a moment ago, and now he was finally going to act on it.   
It was much like eating that first apple earlier this morning. Not anything alike in taste, of course. Meat tasted much different from an apple, in a way Link couldn't really describe. But he had bitten into it, and instantly felt as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. His worries weren't gone, but much easier to ignore with a mouth full of drumstick. And still much like the apple, Link could've sworn this was the best thing he had ever tasted. Surely it couldn't be undercooked if it was this delicious. Once again, it was gone in seconds. He placed the cleanly stripped bone by the fire with a contented sigh, earning another of Ruto's small giggles.  
  
"Pardon me." She began as he turned towards her, "You've just always been such a fast eater for your size."   
  
"Thanks?" He wasn't sure how to take that.   
  
"Oh, it isn't a bad thing, I assure you. Just a bit funny. I suppose it stems from your incredible tenacity, but I can't help that it reminds me of when we were young. You had horrible table manners as a child, and ate like a pig. Muzu was always stuck up about it, but I found it amusing."   
  
"Muzu?"   
  
"Just someone from home."   
  
Where was home, exactly?   
  
"Speaking of which, I do believe I promised to tell you all about Zora, yes?"  
  
Zora. This sounded very familiar. Link had definitely heard this word before, but he couldn't place what a Zora was or what one looked like. He remembered Ruto's words from earlier.  
  
"Zora. That's your race, isn't it?"   
  
"Yes. Much like you are Hylian, I am Zora. The main difference is that Hylians are more suited for land, while Zora live in water. My people specifically live in rivers and lakes, freshwater." Ruto stuck an arm out to Link, rolling up her sleeve for him to see. Her arm was long, muscular, and a vibrant red along the top and sides, with the underside being a creamy white. Once again he noticed that her skin didn't quite seem to be skin.   
  
"You can touch it, if you'd like."   
  
Tentatively, Link did so. He was right, her arm was covered in something hard as opposed to skin. Tiny segments that fit together like a puzzle, or a suit of armor.   
Scales! That's what they were called.   
  
"So, Zora are like fish?"   
  
"In the sense that Hylians are like Monkeys, yes. Though you should probably avoid making that comparison in front of other Zora."   
  
"O-oh." He realized the gravity of what he had just said. "Sorry."   
  
"It's quite alright, I know you didn't mean it that way."   
  
She rolled her sleeve back up, and Link tried very hard to picture what a Zora looked like in his head. The result was a tall, brawny Hylian with scales, a fish head, and gills along their neck. Link stifled a laugh at the monstrosity his brain had cooked up, almost certain that was nothing like how Ruto looked beneath the cloak.   
  
"You said something about home earlier. What do Zora have to do with my home?"   
  
"Well, our home. Zora's Domain. You more or less grew up with us."  
  
"What about my parents?"   
  
"Nobody knows, I'm afraid. They came to visit quite often, and one day you showed up without them, said they were gone. You wouldn't say much beyond that, and nobody wanted to press the matter." There was a tense silence while Link turned this information over in his head. "I'm sorry, I don't know how much of them you remember." The sympathy in her voice made Link regret asking.   
  
"I don't." He replied flatly.   
  
More silence.  
  
"Would you like me to-"   
  
"No, thanks." Link cut her off. "I know Hylians don't live for a hundred years. I don't remember them, and if they're long gone I'd rather not try to." Ruto seemed rather taken aback by this answer. "How about Zora? You said you've been waiting a hundred years."   
  
"Well, most Zora live for about 400 years. You had....have Zora friends who will likely want to see you. Some of them offered to come with me on these trips, but I insisted they stay, lest you have a crowd of hooded strangers waiting when you awoke."  
  
Link stroked his chin in thought, trying to will some memory of his friends into existence. He could vaguely recall the sensation of a cool afternoon breeze, splashing around in water, the sound of laughing children.   
  
"What are their names?"  
  
"Rivan," Nothing came to mind.  
"Gaddison," Still, nothing.  
"and Bazz." There was something there. Not quite nothing, but not anything solid. Link knew this name, but he didn't know who it belonged to.   
  
"The three of you had a little club when you were kids, you'd run around pretending to be knights. There was even a password, though you refused to tell it to me."   
  
"Bazz sounds familiar." He said quietly. Link was glad that he had grown up with friends, even if it meant little to him now. He felt no attachment to them, they were just names. It was harsh, and he knew it, but what was he to do? If they really were still alive, if they still cared about him, Link supposed it was at least worth saying hi.   
  
"That's good! Do any other names come to mind? Ones I haven't mentioned?" The slight hint of excitement in Ruto's voice caused his stomach to flip. She was waiting for him to say her name, her real name, and it killed him a little that he couldn't. Desperately, he cycled through various words and phrases in his head in the hopes it would stir up a memory. Rivan, Bazz, Hylian, Gaddison, Muzu, Link, Zora.....  
  
"....Zelda."   
  
At first, Ruto made no indication that she had even heard him. For a moment Link wondered if he had forgotten to say it out loud, but then he noticed one of her hands was balled into a fist. This had evidently been the wrong answer.   
  
"I see." She intoned.  
  
"Sorry."   
  
She let out a heavy sigh, releasing the fist.   
  
"It isn't your fault, Link. I'm just thankful that you're here. That you're alive."   
  
Quiet fell over them once again. Was she disappointed because Link hadn't remembered her name, or because he had remembered Zelda's? Who was Zelda anyway? Their name felt important, more so than Bazz's.   
  
"What's it look like? Zora's Domain?"  
  
"Ah, words cannot do it justice." Her spirits seemed to lift, if only a little. "It is a grand city of blue and silver. Our ancestors built it out of Luminous Stone, so it shines during the day and glows softly during the night. It's built over a lake, and surrounded on all sides by mountains and trees. I am perhaps biased, seeing as it's my home, but it's beautiful. It used to be quite popular among tourists."   
  
Link couldn't really picture what that would look like. At the very least, it sounded nice.  
  
"Used to be?"   
  
"Hyrule is in a rather delicate state right now, less people are willing to risk travel. That is a conversation for another time though, we should make for the next Shrine." With a stretch, Ruto got to her feet, and offered a hand to help Link do the same. He accepted, shuddering slightly at the chill of her touch. Were all Zora this cold?  
  
"Do you feel better at all, Link? I thought talking about home may help."   
  
"Huh?"

"You seemed troubled by something when you came out of the Shrine. You do not have to tell me about it, but if you'd like to, I'm here." Link found himself mildly infuriated at her sweet tone. Was he really that easy to read?   
  
"I'm OK, seriously." The words came out in a defeated sort of way. Link was far from OK. He knew it, Ruto knew it, and yet he had said the words anyway. She gave him a soft shake of the head.   
  
"You never did like to talk about your emotions. To an extent, I understand why. There are things I have never told anyone, secrets so horrible I plan to take them to my grave. Guilt so heavy I struggle to sleep most nights. But just seeing you here, in front of me right now, is enough to ease that guilt." The sweet, reassuring air had rapidly begun to wane from Ruto's voice. It gave way to an anguish so deep, Link felt as though he was speaking to a different woman entirely. He was not always the best at understanding how others felt, but he could very clearly hear the hundred years of torment in her every word as she spoke. "I could not possibly hope to bear this burden alone. The weight would kill me, and there were times where it almost did. But by simply existing, by letting me hear the sound of your voice, feel the warmth of your skin, you've alleviated that burden more than you could possibly know. So _please_ , Link, let me do the same for you. I would rather hear that you hate me than allow you to suffer on like this in silence"   
  
There was another long pause while Link considered everything that had been said. Thoughts were rushing through his head like a swarm of angry bees, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't seem to grip one long enough to say anything. He grew frustrated, and in a single moment all of his frustration and bitterness boiled over into one sentence. One incredibly easy sentence.   
  
"I hate you."   
  
"I-...Pardon me, I....I did not think you'd actually..." It was Ruto's turn to be absolutely stunned.  
  
"I don't understand my own emotions, I have no idea who I am, I'm confused and upset and it feels like I'm living someone else's life. But you know exactly how I feel, exactly what I'm like, you know me better than I know myself and I hate it!" He was almost yelling now. Link wasn't really thinking about what he was saying, but he knew it was all true. He was saying things he had wanted to say, but couldn't really be honest with himself about. It was so much easier to just pin all of his anger on Ruto in the moment. "Earlier, inside the Shrine, I realized I had been hiding the pain of my injuries. Not just from you, but from myself. Sometimes it feels like I'm not really in control, and I just..." He trailed off, beginning to lose steam. The more he ranted the more sense everything started to make.   
  
"......I don't hate you." His voice fell to something resembling a mumble. "I hate myself." He hated himself for being weak. If he could just be stronger, none of this would be an issue. He wouldn't feel conflicted about his duties. He wouldn't need to have his memories spoonfed to him.   
  
He wouldn't have died.   
  
Wordlessly, Ruto knelt, and pulled Link into a hug. Part of him hated it, the idea of being cradled like a child because he was too weak to handle his own emotions, but he didn't have the strength to resist. He allowed himself this moment of weakness. To be held, to have her run a hand gently through his hair, to close his eyes and just stop thinking for a moment.   
  
"This is my fault." She spoke softly into his ear, "I had hoped that by easing you into the truth, I could spare you this pain. But it seems I only hastened the process."   
  
Deep breaths. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Link wasn't sure where he had picked that up from, but it was ingrained in the back of his mind. Deep breathing was the key to control.   
  
"I'm going to be OK." He muttered into her shoulder, "I'm not yet, but I'll get there. I just needed to get that out of my system."   
  
"It may not feel like it, but there is a profound strength in being able to admit that you're hurt. It takes true courage, even if it seems like the easy way out. We don't need to go to the next Shrine just yet, we could stay like this for a while instead......Would you like that, Link?" A hint of desire was present in her voice.   
  
"....Yeah." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter got much heavier than I had originally planned, but I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing.


	4. Boom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finding names for some of the earlier chapters is hard.

If Ruto had her way, Link was sure that the two of them would have stayed there until nightfall. But when he told her that he was feeling better, she let go without protest. He could tell there was more she wanted to say, but the colossal woman held her tongue in a gracious attempt to spare Link's pride. Mentioning it would defeat the purpose, but he appreciated it silently.   
  
He had more or less come to terms with how he felt. Link was far from happy about his fate, and still more than a little confused, but here and now he was stable, and that's what was important. He was no longer pushing his fears away, but he wasn't letting them take priority either. It was what he hoped to be a healthy middle ground for the time being.  
  
"Now then, may I see the Sheikah Slate for a moment?"   
  
"You know how to use it?"  
  
"I know well enough. I was taught a few things about it many years ago."  
  
Link handed it over, lifting an eyebrow as Ruto fiddled with it. She was murmuring something to herself as she worked, only the occasional word being audible."I think......hm......this....and then.... _.there!_ " She concluded proudly, giving the slate back to Link.  
  
The map was now marked with three glowing boxes, spread across the Plateau. One was near the edge, not too far from them. The other two were situated rather far apart in the mountains.   
  
"These are roughly where we'll find the other three shrines. We'll start with this one," She indicated the one nearest to them, "then we'll stop briefly on the way to the next, I have a campsite set up in between them. We'll need a few things for the cold of Mount Hylia. From there, it'll be a bit of a climb to the top, but relatively smooth once we're up. You used to be quite good at climbing, do you know if you still are?"   
  
Link looked down at his hands, curling his fingers reflexively as a series of motions ran through his mind.  
  
"I...I think?"   
  
"Only one way to find out, I suppose. Shall we get going then?"

Link nodded, and immediately regretted the decision as she began walking. Ruto dwarfed him, both in size and walking speed. For every step she took, he took three. She didn't seem to notice until about half a minute into the walk when Link began to huff audibly, at which point she slowed down.   
  
"Ah, I'm sorry! I forget my size sometimes." she said with a gentle embarrassment.  
  
"It's fine. I probably need the workout anyway."   
  
"You know, at one point we were in much the opposite situation."   
  
"Huh?"   
  
"Well, because Zora live so long, we also mature slowly in comparison to Hylians. 100 years ago I was only up to your nose, and Hylians have much longer legs proportionately. Combined with your natural athleticism, it was difficult to walk with you sometimes." Link thought back to the surge of flashbacks at the foot of the tower. A short figure, with eyes much like that of Ruto's.  
  
"How old are you, exactly?"  
  
She gave a loud, exaggerated sigh at this, tilting her head slightly."I suppose it was foolish of me to hope that you'd somehow remember my birthday. Very well then, I am 162 Hylian years of age."   
  
Ruto sounded like a Hylian in her late 20's. For a race that lived a little over four times longer than Hylians, 162 seemed about accurate.  
  
"How old am I?'  
  
"Well, technically you are 117. But the Shrine seems to have prevented you from aging. It's both strange and comforting, seeing you the exact same despite how everyone else has changed."  
  
17 then. That was young, right? Was he technically an adult?   
  
"Sidon will likely find it amusing. He was always so upset that you had outgrown him so fast."   
  
"Sidon?"  
  
"My younger brother. He despised you as a child, because he felt like you were always 'stealing me away' from him."  
  
"He doesn't still hate me, does he?"  
  
Ruto made an odd sort of humming noise before answering."I wouldn't say he hates you, but he may be somewhat apprehensive. He's just a little protective is all, I'm sure you two will get along."   
  
As they were walking, Link stopped briefly to hop up and snag an apple from a nearby tree. He took smaller bites than usual, munching idly as they went instead of devouring it in seconds.   
  
"Shorry about the questioms," He mumbled through a mouthful of fruit, "jere's just sho mush to figure ou'."  
  
"It's really no bother, I quite enjoy discussing our past. All I really want is for us to be together again, even if the process is difficult. Any opportunity to teach you a little more about our past is another step towards that."   
  
"You know, it'd go a lot faster if you took the hood off."   
  
Ruto turned towards him wordlessly, seeming to consider the idea, only to turn back with a soft shake. "I wish it were that easy, Link. You know as well as I do that giving you too much to remember at once has consequences. I fear my face may have..... _strong_ memories attached to it, and I want you to have a better idea of who you are first. Not of who you once were, but who you are now. To thrust the past upon you and demand that you adjust to it would be selfish of me. I don't want you to be my friend because you feel that you have to, but because you'd like to." She paused a moment, scratching the back of her long hood. "Of course, should you decide you want nothing to do with me after we leave the Plateau....I suppose I shall have to accept that. But-"  
  
"You're joking, right?"  
  
"I'm sorry, what?"   
  
"You waited a hundred years to see me, and if I asked you to leave you'd just go?"   
  
Ruto's hand had gone still, hovering statically over the back of her head. She took a while to respond, breathing deeply before doing so with a slight quaver.   
  
"I have thought about you a lot in the past century. Some would call my dedication unhealthy, and there have been times where I struggled to be sure whether they were right. So, should your memories truly be lost, and you wish to be rid of me, I must move on. Such was the agreement."  
  
Link wanted to ask what agreement she was referring to, but had she avoided prying into him earlier. Now was perhaps a good time to do the same.   
  
"I'm not leaving you."  
  
".....Are you sure?"  
  
"Positive." Link had started to warm up to Ruto. Everything about her was comforting to him in a way he couldn't rationalize, from the way she spoke, to the way she smelled, to the cool touch of her skin. It was somewhat disconcerting. The only explanation he could think of was that they really were close, and that he recognized her even if only subconsciously. On top of that, being alone in the world with no memories was a daunting prospect. He was relying on Ruto for support even if he wasn't ready to admit it. And if she already knew, she certainly didn't need to hear it from Link. Not yet, at least.   
  
"We're friends, aren't we? I can't just leave you after everything you've done for me. Besides, even if I don't have my old memories we can always make new ones."   
  
He took another bite of apple, only to choke on it when Ruto pulled him into a fierce hug, lifting him off the ground. Her voice was oddly soft in comparison to the assault being launched on his ribcage.   
  
"You have no idea how much that means to me, Link."   
  
He allowed this to continue for a while, until his attempt at speaking came out as a pained wheeze. He resorted to beating a fist against her back, which seemed to get the message across. Ruto hastily dropped him onto his feet, and Link immediately hunched over to spit out the offending chunk of apple. He had dropped the rest of it earlier in panic.   
  
"Sorry, Sorry! Size, you know how it is." Too busy gasping for air, Link flashed her a shaky thumbs up in response. "When you've recovered, we can continue. The shrine is just over this hill."  
  
After a moment, they continued onward. And sure enough, less than a minute away, was a series of crumbling stone walls. They were missing large chunks in many places, but at least one seemed fully intact. Link could very clearly see the top of a shrine poking over one.. Scattered around the ruins were those spider-like constructs Link had seen adorning the temple. That much smaller one inside the first shrine had been alive, but these ones seemed to have ceased functioning long ago. He examined the one closest to him, it was covered in dirt and partially buried. Bits and pieces of it's coat had been stripped by time, leaving small chinks in it's armor. Ruto stopped next to him, noticing his interest.  
  
"These are called Guardians. The Sheikah employed them as a defensive measure long ago, but most of them have long since stopped working. A good thing too, they always unsettled me."   
  
"Do any of them still work?"  
  
"Well, not here on the Plateau. There are quite a few throughout greater Hyrule, however."   
  
With a slight grumble, Link turned away. She was right, the sight of them set him on edge for some reason. Even clearly worn by time as they were, he was almost afraid that they'd spring up and come to life somehow. What would that even look like?   
  
"The shrine is just on the other side of this wall" She gestured to the intact one. "Now would be an excellent time to test your climbing skills."   
  
Link stepped towards the wall, examining it. There were several loose or outturned bricks, he imagined it was as simple as grabbing onto one and pulling yourself up. He took hold of one, slid his foot atop another, and in one unified motion he pulled and leapt up over the top. It wasn't a very high wall, so he took the fall down without incident. Soon after, Ruto hoisted herself up and over the side after him. She held the cloak tightly with one hand as she did, careful not to let it flow up.  
  
"Very good, Link! It seems you've retained most of your athletic talent."   
  
"Thanks."  
  
"Right, I shall wait here while you attend to the shrine." Bunching the cloak slightly, she sat against the wall. Link stepped up to open the shrine, and out of the corner of his eye caught Ruto removing a small grey book from inside of her cloak, along with a quill. A diary, maybe? She hadn't begun writing yet though, likely waiting for Link to be on his way. Regardless, he didn't stay to find out.  
  
\------------------  
  
This new shrine was much like the last one. It was made of the exact same material. in a similar manner, but the layout was different. This time, the slate had been upgraded with bombs.   
  
Not your traditional powder bombs, but glowing blue ones that seemed to be made of light. One press of the slate created one, another detonated it. Useful for blasting through solid stone walls. On his way through, Link had also found a large sword enclosed in a chest. If these shrines really were made to test him, he reasoned the sword must have been for him too. It was simple, and a bit large for his liking, but with two hands he could wield it. Though perhaps it would be more effective in the hands of someone like Ruto?   
  
The monk at the end, Ja Baij, had given him a shortened version of Oman Au's speech, once again commending his (supposed) heroic resolve before vanishing. He had also received another spirit orb, and was unsure if they served any purpose aside from healing injuries.  
  
When Link emerged, Ruto was busily scribbling into her book. She perked up at his approach, making a few last minute jots before stuffing the book and quill away once more.   
  
"Did it go well?"  
  
"Yeah." He replied with a soft shrug. "Found this while I was in there, figured it might be more use to you than me." The claymore had, thankfully, come with a sheathe. He offered it to her as she stood, and she took it by the middle with one hand.   
  
"I already have a weapon at camp, actually. One I'm rather fond of. I can certainly carry this for you though." Ruto slung it over one shoulder like a purse, the strap being too small to fit around her torso properly.  
  
"Never hurts to have more. Besides, it's too big for me."   
  
"Oh, please." She scoffed, "I've seen you swing heavier. The trick is to flow with the weight of the weapon instead of pushing against it. Something else that you taught me." Link scratched his chin in thought. That sounded correct, somehow. He'd have to try it later.   
  
"Camp is just this way, come on." He watched as Ruto planted a hand on top of the wall, then a foot on a loose brick, and then hurled herself over the top. He followed at a slower pace, having to climb all the way.   
  
"If you don't mind my asking, what happens inside those shrines?"  
  
"Well, there's a terminal that adds something new to the Sheikah Slate, and then I use whatever was added to solve a puzzle. At the end I get some weird orb that floats inside my chest and then vanishes. No idea what those are for."  
  
"So the slate does things aside from creating maps and pictures?"  
  
"It makes pictures?" He unhooked the slate, staring at it quizzically.  
  
"Yes, although I'm not sure how. What else does it do though?"  
  
Link dropped the silver spear onto the ground in response, and used Magnesis to lift it high into the air. Ruto gave an awed gasp, and then a sharp one as Link let it go suddenly. He caught it by the shaft on the way down.   
  
"Is that all?"  
  
"It's got bombs."  
  
"Bombs?"  
  
"Hold out your hands."   
  
She did so, albeit hesitantly. Link held the slate out over her waiting palms, tapped a button, and a round blue bomb appeared out of thin air.  
  
"Bombs." He repeated.  
  
"Is it safe for me to be holding this?" She asked worriedly.  
  
"Throw it."  
  
"Where?"  
  
"Anywhere."   
  
Ruto tossed the bomb rather hastily, and it bounced off of a nearby Guardian with a soft thud. Bits of rust and dirt were shaken off by the impact.   
  
"And now-" Link held the slate out, tapping the button again. The bomb detonated, with a sound more like a bell ringing than a typical explosion. Ruto jumped a little as it did, prompting a faint smirk from Link. The decayed Guardian was surprisingly undamaged by the blast, though a bit more grime had been shaken off.  
  
"-...normally it blows things up. How tough are those Guardians?"  
  
"Very. Most weapons won't scratch the armor, they can typically pick anyone off before they have time to hit the gaps between it, and the eye is a small target."   
  
"I saw something that looked like them in the first shrine, only smaller. Shot some kind of light at me, do they do that too?"  
  
"Is that what happened he-" Ruto cut off abruptly, hand frozen in the air before Link.  
  
"What?" He looked down at the scorch mark on his shirt, and to his bewilderment, there was now a bright red dot on his chest. It swirled around in a vaguely circular pattern, as if searching for something. A beam of light trailed behind it. Link followed the trail with his eyes, recoiling in horror as he noticed the once inactive Guardian staring right at him. It's blue eye was glowing, and the veins running through it were crimson. It began to emit a high pitched, fragmented shrieking sound in short bursts, in time with the circling of the dot on his chest. As the noise grew louder and faster, visions from earlier flooded his mind. The village up in flames, the screaming, explosions going off. And among the chaos were Guardians.  
  
Link was pulled from his reverie, and his spot on the ground, by Ruto's firm grasp. She hauled him out of the way and behind a ruined wall just as the Guardian fired. Their cover was shattered by an explosion much more akin to that of a powder bomb. Stone and ash flew outward, hitting Link in the face and knocking him over. He tried frantically to wipe his eyes clean as he was lifted off the ground by the back of his shirt.  
  
"Forgive me for this!" He heard Ruto cry, before he was tossed clear over a nearby wall. He stuck out both arms instinctively, elbows bending as he hit the ground. He had managed to negate most of the impact to his upper body, but his knees burned. Link rolled onto his back, ignoring the aches in his legs and forehead. Before he could get up, Ruto appeared over the top of the wall. She leapt forward, landing just in front of Link and leaning over him. Another explosion rang out shortly after, sending debris everywhere. She grunted softly, shielding him from the impact with her body. They stayed there until the dust had settled, catching their breath and recovering. The Guardian had gone quiet, they were well out of it's line of sight, and it couldn't pursue them. For now, they were safe.   
  
Ruto had propped herself up with one arm during the commotion, and hid her face behind the other. Even now, she was so infuriatingly careful to conceal herself. She stood, taking Link's hand and bringing him with her.   
  
"Thanks" was all he could think to say.   
  
"You have saved my life twice. We aren't even yet, but perhaps one day." She squeezed his hand affectionately, and then let go. "Come. We're nearly at camp, there we can rest while I treat your forehead."   
  
Link dabbed a finger to where he had been struck, and it came away bloody. He frowned, wondering how much of the moisture on his face was sweat.  
  
"Do try not to touch it, please. It'll be harder to clean." He wiped the blood and dirt on his increasingly soiled shirt, then set off to the South behind Ruto. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I ended up rewriting this chapter several times, which is part of why it took so long. Originally it was boring to write, and then I had to tell myself that it's on me as a writer to make it interesting, and that I couldn't just rely on the setting. I think I got there, in the end.


	5. Helping Hand

Ruto's camp was simple. An old log that had been hewn smoothly down the middle to form a bench, a few empty barrels (likely pilfered from monster camps), a campfire with a large stone pot held over it, and a small pond. Not very wide, but surprisingly deep, and surrounded by a perimeter of stones. Next to the pond sat an incredibly long wooden trunk. 

  
Link was seated atop the log, with Ruto kneeling just in front of him. Even on one knee, her face was too high up to see sitting down. 

"I thought you said the Guardians here were inactive?" 

"They should be. I- _stop doing that with your eyebrows, please_." Link relaxed his brows, which he had scrunched reflexively as Ruto dabbed at them with a wet cloth. "-I've been by that area many times, and they've never moved in the slightest. Granted, I did not think to awaken them with explosives." 

"Sorry." 

"It's not your fault, you couldn't have known." She pulled the rag away, setting it on top of the small blanket laid out next to her. Strewn across it were scraps of cloth, a water skin, a mortar and pestle, bandages, and a collection of herbs Link didn't recognize. Then again, were there any he would? "I must say, this does concern me. Perhaps something has stirred them, aside from the bombs." 

  
Ruto hooked one hand around the back of Link's head without warning, holding him still, then pressed a fresh cloth against his forehead with the other. She held it there for a few seconds, swiped it a little to the side, then set it back on the blanket, bloody side up. To Link's relief, there wasn't a lot. But just enough that he was confused by how little it hurt. Finally, she wrapped a clean bandage around the top of his forehead, tucking it under his hair. Her hands lingered there briefly, fingers dug gently into his locks, before she let go. 

"Good as new." she said happily. 

"Thanks." Link replied, poking at the bandage experimentally. It was tight enough that he was sure it wouldn't come off, but loose enough that it wasn't uncomfortable either. "'You done this before?" 

"Quite often. I've always been a healer, and as I've started to travel more, I thought it prudent to learn about Hyrule's plantlife and traditional medicine." Ruto arranged the items into a tight group, except for the bloodied cloth. This, she folded neatly in half, and reached into her cloak to stow it somewhere. Returning to the rest of her medical supplies, she wrapped the blanket into a bundle, and placed it inside of a large leather satchel by the trunk. "In fact, I used to heal you all the time. You were very reckless, you know, especially as a child. There was always some fresh cut or bruise waiting for me when you came to visit." 

"I'm sorry." Link didn't really know how to respond to that. A simple apology sounded fitting. 

"For what?" 

"That sounds demanding." At this, Ruto joined him on the bench. 

"Link?" She asked in a slightly-too-polite voice. 

"Yeah?" 

"Stop apologizing for things." 

"So- Okay." She sighed, shaking her head. 

"Your stoicism is admirable, but you must learn to accept help. Oftentimes, you'd hide your injuries from me or insist they didn't hurt because you couldn't stand the idea of appearing vulnerable."   
"Did it ever work?" 

"Of course not. It baffled me that you kept trying." 

Link had to wonder whether Ruto was his friend, or his mother. 

"I would like to attribute it to our close relationship, but in truth I have an unfair advantage. Zora are naturally adept at detecting when something is injured. A hunting instinct we use to pick out easy prey." 

"You're making that up." Link said, fighting back his discomfort. 

"Your knees hurt. Not enough that you'll let me tend to them, but they hurt." She was right. He had scraped them during his emergency landing, resulting in a mild sting. 

"That's......Zora are weird." 

"I suppose in the eyes of a Hylian, yes, but there will be time for more weird Zora facts later. Would you like to ask about your past at all? I recall agreeing to answer your questions after every shrine." 

Link thought for a moment. He had many questions, but which to choose? 

"Was I a soldier before I...wound up here?" 

"A knight, actually. Why?" 

Without looking away, Link pulled the collar of his shirt down. The scars spoke for themselves. 

"It'd explain a few things." He let go, and it slid most of the way back up. Being a knight also accounted for his natural athleticism, proneness to injury, and skill with a spear. Ruto made a quiet grumbling noise at the sight, then straightened into a rigid posture. 

"Link, I have a somewhat strange favor to ask of you." It still perplexed him how shy this woman was despite her gigantic stature. He tilted his head a little in reply, and she pointed a finger at his chest. "Would you mind taking your shirt off for a moment? There's a certain scar I want you to see." She added the last sentence hastily, catching Link's concerned expression. That was indeed a very strange favor, but if Ruto's words were to be believed, it was likely something she had already seen. And, Link had to admit, he was very curious about the scars across his body, even if a little scared that they may spark negative memories. 

He would have to see them at some point. 

Link peeled the shirt off, which was now covered in sweat, dirt and scorch marks on top of it's originally tattered condition. It had been through a lot, much like him. Beneath the shirt, Link had a little bit of muscle. Not much, but more than what he imagined was average. He wondered how much of his figure had been lost over the last hundred years. 

The scars were plentiful. Not enough so that they were obtrusive, but it was clear that he had lived a very 'active' life. Most were long and thin, cuts from bladed weapons. But there were a few that he struggled to imagine the source of, and on his right shoulder appeared to be..... bite marks? He had no idea what animal they could have been from. 

"I remember some of these." Ruto muttered in a melancholy tone, hovering a finger from scar to scar as if reading lines from a book. "This one is from Bazz, when the two of you were sparring. This one is from an arrow, stopped just short of your heart. And, ah, this is the one. This one, unfortunately, is from me." she came to a halt at his left rib, where three perfectly even cuts lay. They were too uniform to be made by multiple strikes, but too wide to be the work of claws. 

"How'd you manage that?" 

"Well, it's convenient that you ask." She rose from her spot on the bench, returning to the trunk. Ruto opened it, and pulled out a long, thin bundle of cloth that was bunched at one end. She turned to give Link a better view as she undid the rope binding it. The rope fell to the floor, the cloth unfurled, and in Ruto's hands sat an almost blindingly shiny silver trident. It was quite large, obviously fitted to Ruto's size. The uppermost shaft was wrapped in some turquoise material, the edges of the fork were adorned in matching gems, and the prongs themselves curled into elegant arches. A soft red coated the inside of certain parts, and was used in numerous tiny carvings and patterns along the shaft. It was beautiful, and looked more like an intricate art piece than a real, functional weapon. But Link could see the sharp tips of the prongs very clearly, and the scars on his side proved their authenticity. Still, he felt as though it might shatter into a million tiny pieces if not used gently. 

Ruto brought it closer, joining him on the bench once more, and he realized that she was right. He knew this weapon. It wasn't his, but he had seen it before. Seeing it filled him with a sort of excitement that he didn't understand. Not because of the weapon itself, but because of something associated with it. The closest thing he could compare it to was- 

_-Seeing an old friend again._

"This is yours." He said in soft wonder. 

"Indeed. I may not sound like it, but I am a seasoned warrior. We used to spar on occasion, which is when this happened." She laid the Trident so that it's prongs rested against Link's scars. The tips fit almost perfectly. "I felt horrible, and offered to heal it, but you refused. You told me that scars were an inevitable part of your life, and that you wanted some of them to bring happy memories instead of bad ones." 

Ironic. 

Ruto pulled the trident away, and Link ran his fingers along the scars. They weren't deep, likely the work of a glancing blow. His palm came to a rest atop them, and he closed his eyes in a futile attempt to recall the memory. It was there, just on the edge of his mind. But every time he reached out to it, it slipped just a little farther from his grasp. 

He sighed in frustration, but before he could pull away, Ruto laid her hand on his. A jolt shot through Link's arm, all the way through his shoulder and into the back of his neck. His eyes burst open, and Ruto met his gaze. He could see now that her pupils were wide, but slits, somewhere between a Cat's and a Hylian's. The world around him began to twist and fade, but her eyes alone stayed vivid, as if reality itself centered around them. 

_The log fell out from under Link, and he landed on his feet, hunching forward a little from the impact. The scars on his side were no longer scars, but fresh wounds. His hand was being gently coaxed off them by another, small and red. There it was again, that figure. They were clearer now, still not entirely complete, but clear enough for him to be sure. Between her crimson hue and striking eyes, he was certain this was a much younger Ruto. Their surroundings were nonexistent, leaving the two of them alone in an abyss, save for a smooth stone floor._

_"Link, please." Her voice was clearer too, distant yet comprehensible._

_He shook his head stubbornly, wiping away the trickle of blood on his tunic._

_"It's hardly bleeding."_

_"It shouldn't be bleeding at all!" Link took her hand in his, guiding them both away from his ribs._

_"It can wait. There'll be more by the time we're done, anyway."_

_"Absolutely not. We're going home this instant!" She turned, pulling him by the hand with surprising strength. As he stumbled forward, she vanished into the aether, leaving Link to plummet face first into the moist.....grass? He looked up, and now they were surrounded on all sides by grass, rocks and trees. Ruto stared back, Trident firmly in hand._

_"Leg sweeps are cheating." He spat the words out alongside the dirt he had just unwillingly eaten._

_"Would you prefer I stabbed you again?"_

_"A-"_

_"Don't answer that." She offered a foggy hand to help him up, and Link took it._

_"You're getting better, you know."_

_"No, you're just going easy on me."_

_"Only a little."_

_Ruto vanished again the second he was back up. He blinked in confusion, and by the time his eyes opened he was back to that stone-floored void. Link was the one holding the Trident now, legs spread into a fighting stance._

_"No no, your hands are in the wrong spot." She grabbed onto his wrist, sliding his right hand a little further away from his left._

_"I don't get how you use this thing, it's so big."_

_"Practice, practice, practice." She chirped reassuringly. "Now then, try it again from fourth position." Link turned to ask which position was fourth, but she was already gone. He waited, blinked, and waited a little more, but his mind didn't take him anywhere new just yet. He spun in place, trying to get his bearings in the vast expanse to no avail. He looked down at the one coherent piece of this setting, the stone floor. It was wet now, covered in water just up to his ankles. Link could see his reflection in it, muddled and choppy as it was. His hair was unkempt, face covered in dirt, and hovering just above him was a single glowing blue eye. A shallow gasp escaped his lips, but before he could react, something wrapped around the back of his head, slamming him face first into the stone floor._

The sudden pain was enough to bring Link back to the present. He threw his free hand over his forehead, where it had hurt just a split second ago, but the pain was gone now. A distant memory. 

"Are you alright? Is it bleeding again?" He looked back at present day Ruto. Calling her Ruto felt wrong now, absurd even. But her true name remained buried somewhere in his skull.

"Just a memory. I'm fine." 

"What of?"

"Us." He said, slightly out of breath. "Sparring, like you mentioned. I hit my head on something at the end, not really sure what happened." 

"Did something hit you? Did you fall over?" Link closed his eyes again in an effort to scrounge up what few details he could.

"I was standing in shallow water, holding your Trident. I saw something reflected in the water, looked kind of like a Guardian, bust just the eye. And then-" He patted his forehead once for emphasis. Link opened his eyes to find hers were now closed. His hand had long since fallen from the scar on his ribs, but Ruto was still holding onto it tightly. "Do you know what that was?"

She took a long breath in and out before answering.

"I do, unfortunately. It's not a story you're ready to hear yet." This mildly frustrated Link, even though he knew she was right. The flashbacks were barely lucid, so real they bordered on traumatic. Did most people experience memories like this? He hoped not, for their sake. Ruto let go, picking up Link's grimy shirt and moving back to the trunk.

"I uh, I sorta need that back." 

"It's positively filthy. Here, take this." She produced a thick, long sleeved tunic from inside. It was dark blue, soft, and seemed almost perfectly tailored to him as he slipped it on. "What do you think?"

"Hm. A little thick, but I like it. Thanks." 

"You'll need it for Mount Hylia. I don't understand how Hylians can stand wearing such heavy clothes, but I will admit they're warm."

"Have you been saving this for me the whole time?" 

"I've had 100 years to prepare, a coat was the least I could do." She tossed his old shirt in the trunk, rummaging through it as she spoke. "How does it fit, by the way?"

"The sleeves are a little long. Fine otherwise." Ruto froze, muttering something about sleeves to herself, and then set a large flask on the ground next to her. 

"Why?"

"I made it myself."

The coat felt a lot warmer now for some reason. 

"Wait, how did you know exactly what size to make it?"

"Mmmm, call it intuition." She shrugged, coming out of the trunk with a small knapsack, and finally closing it. "These are for you too." 

Link collected them off the ground, slipping the flask inside the sack, and the sack over his shoulder. 

"Are you ready to get going? We can rest a little longer if you'd like." 

"I'm ready now." 

Ruto nodded, slinging the satchel from earlier over her arm opposite the Claymore. Link took the silver spear, and wedged it between the straps of his knapsack. Not ideal, but better than having to carry it by hand. 

Holding her Trident like a walking stick, Ruto took one last look around the camp. Link didn't know how much time she had spent here, but he imagined it was quite a lot.

"Will you miss this place?"

"Goddesses, no." He gave her another one of his quizzical head tilts. "Every second I spent here was a second without you. An agonizing wait I never want to look back on." The pure admiration in her tone caused a light blush to play at Link's face. He turned away, coat getting hotter by the minute. 

"Let's go then." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At the end of the story, I might post all the outtakes or scrapped chapters. I originally took this one in a completely different direction, and then another, then settled on this one. 
> 
> Also, I'm a huge science nerd and there will be more Zora facts cherrypicked from weird facts about Sharks and Fish in general.


	6. Doldrum

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok ok, I know what you're thinking. It's been almost a month since the last update, and for most stories that means the author has lost interest and is on a permanent "break". Not the case here! I'll go into more detail in the notes at the end, but this won't be a common occurrence. 
> 
> If you're starting the story after this chapter has already been posted, lucky you!

A silence had settled over them as they walked. Not awkward, or tense, but serene. Despite how much he enjoyed Ruto's company, or how badly he itched to know more of their past, Link was grateful for it. Everything Ruto said gave him something new to think about, left him with some new question to ask, some fresh doubt in the back of his mind. He relished the opportunity to simply organize his existing thoughts instead of trying to accommodate new ones. 

The topic on his mind at the moment was Ruto herself, coincidentally. Any doubt about the purity of her intentions had been erased from his mind. Still, even if her motives weren't malicious, Link was concerned that they weren't as simple as she was leading him to believe. She was a little _too_ nice to him. A little too concerned with his well being. She had cleared everything dangerous off the bottom of the Plateau (minus the Guardians), yet given him a weapon anyway. She had cooked for him, sewn him a shirt, offered to carry the claymore for him, and supposedly visited this same place every year for the past hundred years in the hopes of seeing him. Now that he truly considered it, she had probably been saving that first apple for him too. Link admittedly couldn't remember any prior experiences to compare it to, but it all felt just a bit much to go through for a friend. Of course, it was entirely possible he was being paranoid and this was all (relatively) normal. But it was also very possible her motives extended beyond friendship. 

It was a very real possibility that Ruto was trying to butter him up in preparation for Ganon. 

He hated even thinking the name in his head, but there was no way around it. That tugging sensation reemerged in his chest, and without realizing it he had begun to walk a little faster. He had absolutely no idea who or what Ganon was, but he would not be able to truly rest until it was gone. That much he knew for certain. 

He wasn't sure how much of his supposed destiny Ruto knew about. More than he did, probably. And if she did know, then all of her effort made a lot more sense. Link was annoyed by the idea. Or at least, he wanted to be. He had been in a hundred year coma, and the very same day that he awoke people already wanted something from him. But if the situation was as dire as the Voice had led him to believe, he couldn't really fault them. Ganon threatened the whole of Hyrule, and Link was somehow vital to stopping it. 

If he chose to deny his fate, there would be no Hyrule left to remember. No friends to reunite with, no home to go back to. The world would be ash because of his own cowardice. 

"Link?" 

Ruto didn't need to say anything else, he could hear the question in her voice.

Deep breaths, Link. Deep breaths. 

"Just thinking." He replied quietly. Judging by her uneasy grumble, Ruto was not satisfied with this answer. 

"About...?"

"You." He didn't feel like discussing Ganon right now, so this was a convenient half truth. Still, it was a half-truth that seemed to please her. 

"And what about me, might I ask?" She was clearly much happier with this answer. Link mulled it over for a moment, considering how best to phrase his thoughts. 

"You're really nice to me." He began.

"Well, of course. We're-"

"Friends, I know. But you put so much effort into it."

"That's just how I am." She responded, slightly offended. "Is there something wrong with that?"

"No. It's just weird." 

"Then I suppose you will just have to live with your weird friend M- Ruto." Her offense had given away to amusement, up until the last word, which came out with a twinge of horror.

"Mm?" 

"Oh, just a slip of the tongue!" She hurriedly assured. But the damage had been done. Link shook his head, already trying to piece together a name starting with M. 

Madison? Mary? Margret? 

"Marot?" He blurted out. Ruto let go of the anxious breath she had been holding in, and ran a palm down her face. 

"I take it you know Ruto isn't my real name?" Link nodded in response. 

"Doesn't sound familiar. Not like the other names do." 

'Ruto' threw her head back, and let out a distressed groan. Her hood slipped for a split second, but she caught it before Link could see anything.

"I will not lie, I would be incredibly flattered if you remembered my name on your own. But at the same time, I must ask that you don't try to quite yet. Soon, I promise."

Link nodded bitterly, trying to fight back his disappointment. 

"It's not Marot then?"

"No, silly. I'm surprised you remember Marot's name, the two of you weren't particularly close." 

Link shrugged. He wasn't sure how much of a part that even played in his amnesia. At times it almost felt like his brain was choosing what to remember and when at complete random. Link could not remember the name of his best friend, and yet he was keenly aware of the fact that horses prefer to be approached from the side rather than the front. 

How did he even know what a Horse was? 

Link was forced to stow this thought for later by a tug on the back of his collar. Ruto had stopped walking, and when he turned towards her, she made a shushing motion with her hand, before pointing off ahead of them. The pair had arrived at a makeshift bridge made out of logs, leading over a large gap in the cliffside of the Plateau. And just across it, two red forms lay sleeping. 

They were big, a little bigger than Link. And unlike Ruto's brilliant scales, their skin was the color of a rotten tomato. They had the head of a pig, and the body of a chubby yet somehow gangly Hylian, garbed only in a fraying loincloth. A single horn poked out from the tops of their skulls, and next to them were two crude-looking wooden clubs.

_"Bokoblins."_ Ruto whispered in disgust. Link couldn't help but share her feelings. He wasn't sure what they were, but something about them left a bad taste in his mouth.

"What are they?"

"Vile creatures that serve Ganon. I didn't have time to kill the ones this far out, sadly." 

Link's hand had drifted towards his spear at the word 'Ganon', but Ruto tugged at his collar again to stop him. 

"I have a better idea. The Sheikah slate, it's bombs are remote activated, yes?"

He nodded once.

"May I have one?"

Relinquishing his grip on the spear, he brought out the slate and created a single round bomb for her. Ruto took it with her right hand, then stretched her left out ahead of her, fingers slightly parted. Link recognized this pose. He looked back at the slumbering Bokoblins, then back at Ruto, and suddenly it clicked.

"On the count of 3." 

Link hung a thumb over the button, eyes glued to the bomb as Ruto drew her arm back. 

"1." 

She stepped out with her right foot, widening her stance.

"2."

With impeccable form, she hurled the bomb forward. It flew in an almost perfect arc, landing a little in front of the two Bokoblins and rolling the rest of the way. Both immediately bolted upright, staring at the bomb. 

**"3!"**

Neither had a chance to stand. The bomb detonated, and the poor little pig creatures were sent flying into the air. They made a noise somewhere between a shriek and a squeal as they tumbled over the side of the cliff, and when they vanished from sight so too did their voices. It was funny, but also quite brutal all things considered.

"Always make the most of your surroundings." Ruto declaimed, dusting her hands off. "Another piece of advice that I gleaned from you." 

Link smiled involuntarily at the hint of pride in her voice. 

Replacing the slate, he followed her across the surprisingly sturdy bridge, but they stopped again soon after. She stood in front of a rocky outcropping in the mountainside, looking up towards the distant peak. 

"Link?" She called somewhat absently, "Could you carry one of those Bokoblin clubs for me? We'll be using it as a torch once we're at the top." 

He nodded out of pure reflex, despite the fact that Ruto was still staring at the mountain. As he lifted the club, a confused expression crossed Link's face. Though a bit unwieldy, the club felt natural in his hand much like the spear. He spared it a brief squint before stuffing it into his backpack, handle sticking out of the top.

When he returned to Ruto, she was digging through her satchel. At last, the Zora woman pulled out what appeared to be a metal stake with a wrapped handle on the end. It was black, and no longer than a small knife (at least to Ruto) with a dull tip and no sharp edges. 

"What's that?" 

"This is called a Piton." She held it out so Link could see it better. It was covered in scratches and a few dents, but looked remarkably solid. "You wedge it between cracks while climbing. Zora struggle to climb the way Hylians do because of our claws and scales, so I use these to make it easier. There are already a few lodged into the wall for us to use." 

Wait.

With dawning dread, Link checked the map on the Sheikah Slate. According to it's 2D display, the next shrine was merely a few feet in front of them. But just between them and their goal was a tiny, squiggly black line. The edge of a cliff, Link realized. He glanced up at the cliff, trying to gauge its size in his head. He wasn't certain, but from here it looked to be taller than the Tower. 

"W-we have to climb that, don't we?" He gulped.

Ruto nodded once, clapping her hands together. 

"I know it looks scary, but it isn't that bad, really. You're a much better climber than me, and I do it all the time." After a bit of deliberation, Link decided not to comment on the fact that she had made this climb every year for the past hundred years while he had been asleep.

".....Ladies first.....?"

_____________________________________________

The lady did, in fact, not end up going first.

After commending him for being polite, Ruto insisted that Link go ahead of her so that she could catch him if he fell. Not that he would fall, of course, but just in case. Totally hypothetical, she assured him. 

The climb itself was somehow both better and worse than Link expected. It surprised him just how many lips and cracks there were for him to cling to, and there were even a couple ledges big enough for them to take short rests on the way up. On one such rest, Link took a sip from the flask Ruto had given him, and realized that this was the first thing he had drank since awakening. It took an extraordinary amount of self control not to down the whole thing at once, now that he had remembered what being thirsty felt like. Of course, the climb was so long he finished it before they reached the top anyway. Aside from one nerve wracking moment where Link reached out for a jagged piece of rock, and it crumbled in his grip, the climb proceeded smoothly. He did his best not to think about the fact that they were at least 50 feet off the ground, one slip up away from being turned into a fine red paste. 

When they finally reached the top, Link took a whole 3 steps before collapsing onto his butt gracelessly. Ruto seemed fairly worn out as well, but displayed a little more self control as she sat down. He wasn't sure if her size made climbing easier or harder. 

After taking a bit to regain his strength, Link ventured into the new shrine. This one was very similar to the last two, except for the fact that there was no floor. Instead, everything was held up on platforms over an ominous abyss. Link dropped a bomb into it to see how far down it went, and after waiting 20 seconds with no noise, he pressed the bomb button again only for the slate to create a brand new bomb. 

What this meant was beyond Link.

The latest rune was called Stasis. Much like the name implied, it could freeze almost anything in place for a few seconds. The shrine had a series of large stone balls that needed to be frozen before they flattened Link on his way to the end, and out of raw curiosity, he kicked one as it was stuck in place. He made two important discoveries during this little experiment:

1) Any force applied to a frozen object is applied as soon as the object unfreezes.

2) Kicking a giant piece of stone hurts.

His foot seemed to hurt even more when he noticed the iron sledgehammer conveniently propped against a nearby wall. 

Link had also happened across another chest while inside, this one containing a round wooden shield. Despite his best efforts, it couldn't be effectively used in tandem with the spear, but it'd probably come in handy later. 

This monk recited much the same lines Link had already heard before giving the orb and dissipating. As he accepted it, Link felt some of his fatigue from climbing fade. He was still tired, perhaps more mentally than physically, but his muscles (and foot) no longer ached. 

When Link emerged, Ruto was seated near the edge of the cliff. In her hands was that little grey book again, and a quill being furiously worked across it's pages. At the sound of Link's approach, she stopped writing briefly, then made a couple more scribbles and tucked the book away. 

"Did you find those inside of the shrine?" She said, turning to indicate the hammer with one finger. He knew she could see the shield too, it was large enough to be visible from the front.

"I think the Sheikah are leaving me supplies." He nodded.

"Hmm. That is well, but, do you feel any different physically? Impa said that the shrines would help revitalize you, but she was quite vague as to how."

Impa. He knew this name. Link made a mental note to ask about her later.

Looking down at himself, Link curled and uncurled his fingers. He stretched his arms and legs a little, cracked his neck, and took a moment to really feel out his body. Aside from being a bit tired and thirsty, he felt what he could only assume was normal. 

"I don't feel much different from when I woke up. Maybe a little less numb."

Ruto watched him silently, and though he couldn't see her face, Link could feel her scrutinizing gaze all over his body. He was reminded, with a slight shiver, of how Zora naturally analyze their prey for weaknesses. 

After the longest couple seconds of his (new) life, Ruto finally stood up, dusting off the rear of her cloak. 

"As long as you're alright. We should be going then, the final shrine is a bit of a walk and the sun is beginning to set." 

The final shrine. This put the tiniest bit of spring into Link's step, he was nearing the end of this confusing charade. 

"But first, might I see that club I asked you to bring?" 

Link fished it out of his pack without turning around, extending it out towards her. But instead of taking it, Ruto drew out a long piece of cloth and a small brown bottle.

"Hold it still, please." 

Link tightened his grip on the handle as she wrapped the cloth around the awkwardly large end, then uncorked the bottle and poured a little bit of the liquid on. It had an acrid, somewhat sweet odor that made Link wrinkle his nose. Recorking the bottle, Ruto put it back into her satchel and pulled out a piton from earlier, along with a piece of flint. She struck them together over the makeshift torch once, twice, three times, and at last on the fourth attempt the sparks caught. The fire started off small, then erupted violently across the cloth tip. It was all Link could do not to drop it out of panic. Their outburst lasted only for a second, and the flames soon settled into a much more manageable volume.

"Why all the extra steps?" Link asked, turning the torch here and there to examine it.

"You can't just light a piece of wood on fire. Believe me, I've tried. Without preparation, it would burn out too quickly, and perhaps take your hand with it. Speaking of which, shall I carry it? I'd imagine your hands will be full with that." She pointed to the sledgehammer on the ground again, and Link handed the torch over with a shrug. He lifted the hammer, which was surprisingly light for its size, and let it slide so that he was gripping just under the head. Then, he slid the haft between the straps of his backpack like he had done with the spear. It was considerably more awkward given that the hammer was so much heavier on one end, but it worked. 

"Are you going to do that with every weapon you come across?"

"Where else am I going to put them?"

"But do you really need all of them?"

_"Always make the most of your surroundings."_ He parroted. In reply, Ruto made a noise somewhere between a groan and a giggle.

"Fine, fine. Onward, then." 

There was a steep slant in the rocky mountainside leading further to the North. Link followed as Ruto made her way up, and it wasn't long before they hit what could only be described as a literal wall of cold. One step, the air was a little below average. The next, it hit Link like a slap to the face. Where he was previously indifferent, Link was suddenly grateful for his new tunic being so thick. Ruto was holding the torch lower than what looked normal, low enough for Link to catch some of its warmth. So he siddled closer as they walked, to what he figured was a respectable distance while also being close enough to warm himself. The tunic kept his torso from freezing, but it was still a tad uncomfortable, while his face and hands were left completely unprotected. 

"S-hould we have b-rought both clubs?" Link asked through chattering teeth. Ruto threw her free hand over her mouth in shock, maybe a little too dramatically, and gasped.

"Oh my, the idea didn't even occur to me. I'm so used to traveling alone, I assumed one would be plenty. Here-" Before Link had time to struggle, Ruto had snaked an arm around his shoulder, and pulled him in so that he was pressed against her side. Gently enough that he wasn't being squeezed, but firmly enough that he wasn't sure escape was an option. "We'll just have to share, won't we?" 

Link was no longer cold. In fact, he was now startlingly warm, and not entirely from the torch. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Right, so, a lot of things happened at once. 
> 
> First of all, I took a short break to write something else not botw related. It was a short one off, I'm not going to be doing anything long while writing Faithful, and I unfortunately scrapped the whole thing anyway for reasons.
> 
> Then, I had a handful of IRL issues sprout up. I don't want to spill my personal details here so the short explanation is that I wasn't sleeping well, and that made it hard for me to write anything at all, let alone anything legible or even good. (Don't worry though, I'm ok.) 
> 
> I know a lot of fics just cut off abruptly with an author's note saying it'll totaaaally be back soon (or sometimes even no warning at all) but that's not what I'm doing. If anything, I'll mention that updates will be slowing down or pausing for one reason or another. Thanks for bearing with me!


	7. Before the Storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I originally wanted to combine this chapter and what will now be the next chapter into one long one, but it's taking me too long to write out, so I figured I'd leave you all with this. Also, important question for you all in the end notes!

The walk to the final shrine was surprisingly eventful, namely in the form of Bokoblin encounters. As Ruto had said, there were plenty of them in the mountains, and not long after departing from the stasis shrine, they encountered a whole camp huddled around a fire. Next to them were a set of peculiar barrels. A couple normal ones, sure, but mixed in were bright red ones with a white symbol on them resembling a skull. 

Ruto explained to Link that Bokoblins were known to hoard barrels of gunpowder. How they understood it, nobody knew, but they were fully aware of its explosive capabilities. It fascinated Link that they were smart enough to collect gunpowder and mark it in a special barrel, yet by Ruto's account they ran around violently bludgeoning any non-monster within their line of sight, wholly incapable of reason.

Perhaps they were just territorial? 

Regardless, their camp was set up in Link and Ruto's way, so they needed to go. She let go of Link long enough to pitch another bomb into the midst of their camp, and the subsequent blast was enough to set off the barrels. It was Link's turn to jump as the entire camp was lit up in a massive cloud of fire and smoke, and when the dust cleared, the Bokoblins were gone. Not just dead, but _gone_ gone. Vanished, erased, not a single trace of them was left behind but a few charred scraps of wood. 

Link felt a rush of satisfaction overcome him as the pig monsters were wiped from this world, and yet, it was followed immediately by shame. Why did he hate them so much? Could they really be that bad? They must have done something to him in his past. But then, was that like hating a wild animal for biting you? Did they know any better? 

More conundrums that would have to wait, Link decided. Besides, Ruto had mentioned that they come back anyway, however that worked. She retook her hold of him, and they continued onward. 

They came across one more on the way, standing alone on the edge of a narrow path across the mountain. It looked almost peaceful as it stared off into the horizon, like the subject of some outlandish painting. 

This image was of course shattered the moment Link and Ruto came within earshot. The pair had come up over a large slope in the snow, and the Bokoblin heard their footsteps not long after they spotted it. It whipped around, bulging blue eyes locking onto them, and let out an unimpressive war-squeal. With its club and equally crude wooden shield raised into the air, it charged before they had time to set up a bomb. 

Unfortunately, its gusto did not even begin to make up for its intelligence. Or rather, lack thereof. 

Ruto stepped forward with one foot, positioning herself so that she was mostly between Link and the Bokoblin (a gesture that both flattered and annoyed him), then wound back with her torch arm. The moment it stepped into range, Ruto's arm came crashing down, delivering a fierce backhanded swing. And with an unceremonious **'plunk'** , the monster was lifted off the ground, and flung clear over the side of the mountain path. It made no noise, likely too surprised to even scream on the way down. 

In all fairness, Link was surprised too. 

"How many times have you done that?" He asked, repressing his incredulity. 

"Mm, 60 or so." She shrugged. 

The final group of Bokoblins were situated just outside of the shrine itself. Halfway up a tall hill, near the peak of the mountain on a flat clearing. And at the very top, the familiar orange glow of the shrine. Link could see them as he drew closer, three of them, encircling a campfire with something large hanging over it (from this distance, he couldn't be sure, but he felt a familiar rumbling in his stomach at the possibility of food). 

As they neared the base of the hill, Link began to grow confused, and even a little agitated at the fact that Ruto was still holding him. He had been more or less acquiescent to her grip throughout the walk, though it was more for her benefit than his. The way she gently squeezed his arm every now and then made it obvious to Link that her stake ran a bit deeper than just making sure he was warm. But he didn't necessarily mind it. After all, Ruto was just being friendly, wasn't she? Link couldn't remember what the proper response was to that sort of thing, so he settled on patting her wrist whenever she did. That seemed appropriate, and totally not awkward. 

So he hoped, at least. 

But they were drawing closer and closer to the monsters, and he couldn't reach the slate or either of his weapons with his arm mostly pinned between the two of them. And as impressive as ejecting a lone Bokoblin from the mountainside with one hand was, surely she didn't intend to take on all 3 that way? Link opened his mouth to voice these concerns, but was promptly silenced by Ruto taking a very abrupt step to the side, and dragging him through the snow with her. A second later, Link's attention was caught by three suspiciously oversized snowballs rolling down the hill where they had been just a second ago. His eyebrows shot up in alarm at first, then knitted together as he realized that those weren't there when he was looking at the camp earlier. Link cast his gaze up towards the midway point of the hill, and then to Ruto when Bokoblins did not immediately come barreling down it. She met his confused expression with a finger in front of her mouth, a shushing motion. 

"An automatic trap. They do not know we are here yet." She whispered, finally letting go of him. The increasingly perplexed Hylian turned back to examine the hillside, and noticed a distinct lack of tripwires, plates, or other triggers they could have set off, but accepted this explanation nonetheless. When his attention returned to Ruto, she was dropping the now mostly spent torch into the snow, where the last remnants of its flame died out. Link's hand drifted to the slate, only to freeze when Ruto drew the trident from her back, twirling it once to adjust her grip. 

"No bomb this time?" 

"I'm afraid not. I'll need the campfire in-tact while you're i-, Oh! Er, that won't be necessary." Ruto knelt in front of Link, who had casually started to loose his spear at hearing they weren't going to use a bomb. He stopped, fingers resting on the haft, with an ever so slight scowl. "I am perfectly capable of dispatching the Bokoblins myself. All you need to do is stay behind me." A tiny, pleasant smile played at the few features of her face that Link could make out. But instead of comforting him, it only served to renew his earlier agitation. 

"I can fight." He whispered back, failing to mask his annoyance. Ruto's smile flickered, but remained in place. 

"I know you can. But you don't have to." 

"I _want_ to fight." he corrected, "I'm not a child. You don't need to do everything for me." 

The smile fell fully from her lips, giving way to a soft frown. It was here that Link realized he was forced to rely on tone of voice in their interactions thus far, her cloak being baggy enough to hide most body language. For someone trying to hide their identity, 'Ruto' was surprisingly earnest. Even without seeing her face, it was rarely a struggle to tell her mood. And yet, the presence of a facial expression added something to it that words couldn't. It added a certain weight, a weight that Link didn't like. 

He didn't like seeing her frown. 

When next Ruto spoke, she did so in that incredibly empathetic, sorrowful tone she had used below the tower. And much like then, it was suddenly very hard for Link to be upset with her, even if only mildly. 

"I know how you feel better than you might expect. For much of my life, I wanted to fight as you did, while those around me sought only to coddle me. But there will be times in the coming days where fighting will not be a choice, and that is why I must ask that you let me protect you while I can." 

Ruto's plea stirred a great deal of complicated emotions inside of Link. Anger. Despair. Guilt? He didn't understand any of them, and he certainly wasn't expecting to be confronting this level of emotion so suddenly. But, begrudgingly, he slid his hand off the spear, and dropped his scowl into a more neutral expression. Ruto's smile fixed itself back into place, and some sort of invisible weight left Link's shoulders as it did. 

"If it is any consolation, I know full well of your martial prowess. I would be pushing you to fight more if I didn't." 

That did make him feel a little better, actually. He nodded, and she returned a nod of her own before standing, and making her way up the hill. She didn't bother crouching, knowing it wouldn't make a difference, and so of course there was an immediate outcry from the Bokoblins when her head poked up over the slope. Link followed a few feet behind, moving to the side to get a better view as the Bokoblins raised their weapons. 

To call what happened next a fight sounded wildly inappropriate to Link. _Slaughter_ seemed like a much more apt term. 

The first Bokoblin tramped forward, receiving a trident through the skull before getting anywhere into its own melee range. Ruto's weapon slipped in easily, as if through paper, and just as easily did it slip back out. But instead of slumping into the ground, the lifeless creature did something well beyond Link's expectations. It erupted into a puff of purple smoke, leaving nothing but a few loose teeth behind. The second Bokoblin wasted no time, hurling itself into a downward swing with both hands before Ruto had fully recovered from the first thrust. She brought the blunt, lower tip of the trident up to catch the blow, and then swept the other end under the monster's stubby legs. It fell onto its back with a surprised squeal, punctuated by a sharp death rattle when the leg sweep was followed by a jab through the chest. Poof, another gone. 

The third, and final beast was decidedly much more cautious than its deceased companions. It took a step back, raising the rough slab of bark it called a shield in some desperate attempt at defense. And had the blow come from Link, that defense very well may have held. 

But alas, this was not the case. 

Ruto's movements up until now had been smooth, fluid, much more refined and likely practiced than even Link's. But this time, the titanic woman cocked her arms back, and drove her weapon through the Bokoblin's shield in an uncharacteristically graceless display of brute force. The sound of shattering wood filled the air, causing Link to wince involuntarily. There was a short pause where the two stayed locked in place, until Ruto lifted the Bokoblin off the ground, three silver prongs jutting out of its ruined spine. She turned it sideways, as if unsure that the strike had gone all the way through, and the club fell loosely from her victim's fists. At last, it dissolved into smoke, leaving the splintered remains of a shield to hang in place. Ruto took a moment to pry this off, tossing it lazily into the nearby fire. 

Link, meanwhile, had been rooted to the spot as this all unfolded. He was both impressed and startled by Ruto's performance, the way she was able to mix a profound elegance into her movements while also violently skewering the poor creatures. And on that note, his brain had never quite processed that she was, in fact, very capable of violence. Of course it made sense logically, having seen the flashbacks and the scars, having heard that she had killed these monsters at least '60 or so' times before, but seeing it actually unfold in front of him was something else entirely. She was so gentle and sweet in their interactions that he struggled to imagine her committing such a display of ruthless efficiency, even one he had just witnessed with his own two eyes. Sure, she had thrown bombs in the past and knocked the lone swine off the mountain, but those were both far too detached to have prepared Link for this. 

It made him question whether he would have been of any help, had she let him take on the Bokoblins. Would he only have gotten in the way? 

"Link?" 

He blinked once, head swiveling to Ruto, who was now seated on an overturned log by the campfire, trident resting against her side. He was staring again, he really needed to work on that. 

"Sorry. Just-" 

"-thinking?" She finished for him with concern. Was he really that predictable? 

"Yeah. Nothing bad, just, uh.....you're really good at, y'know..." How was he supposed to phrase this? 

"Spearmanship?" 

"Yes. That." He breathed a sigh of relief internally. That was infinitely more eloquent than 'killing things.' 

"Ah, well, I've had plenty of practice. Perhaps a bit more so than I would have liked." She replied pleasantly, "But thank you." 

Link gave a short, but polite nod, eyes drifting towards the remains of this camp's former inhabitants. Something else had surprised him during the battle, the Bokoblins exploding upon their demise. This certainly explained where they had gone during the explosion earlier. He scooped the three odd teeth one had left out of the snow, turning one over in his fingers. It was solid, and completely indistinguishable from any other animal's tooth as far as Link could tell. Other animals didn't explode when they died, did they? Link was fairly sure they didn't, but then again... 

"Why did they turn into smoke like that?" He asked over his shoulder. 

"All monsters do that." Ruto answered simply. "They aren't alive, not like you or I. They eat, breathe, and bleed, but they are brought into this world by magic and exist only to kill." There was a cold edge to her voice as she described them. Barely present, but enough so that it stood out to Link. If she was correct, then this explained her apparent lack of sympathy for them. He briefly wondered how she would do if forced to fight, say, a Hylian. Or even another Zora. 

Stuffing the teeth into his pocket opposite the mini-guardian parts (they had to be good for something.) Link's attention settled on the last, and arguably most important aspect of the camp. The weather had stuffed his nose just enough that he couldn't clearly smell it, but his somewhat motley spirits lifted instantly at the unmistakable sight of meat roasting over the fire. Already cooked too, if the browned color was any indication. Link outstretched a hand, ready to take out a chunk for himself-

-Only to stop an inch short, the grin slipping off his face. There were already _several_ large chunks already taken out of the meat. Rough bites, still slick with opaque pig spit. He gagged, spirits plummeting again. Maybe he could just- No, there was no eating around them. 

It was too late. The damage had been done. 

"I'm heading for the shrine." He groaned sourly, casting one last forlorn glance at the meal that never was. 

"Hm? Yes, alright." Ruto responded distantly. He barely felt the wind nipping at his cheeks as he stomped up the hill, fueled by both the desire to move past the final hurdle, and his bitter mood. 

___________________________________ 

There was little new about this shrine aside from its rune; Cryonis, the ability to freeze water into ice. 

Unfortunately, Link couldn't figure out how to control the shape of said frozen water. The slate seemed incapable of creating anything but long, rectangular blocks of ice. There was something strange about the ice itself, too. It was dry to the touch, and covered in minute divots and grooves, making the surface surprisingly easy to climb. Pools of water were scattered throughout, allowing Link to create ice virtually anywhere inside. Stricken by curiosity and a bit of thirst, he stooped down to take a sip, only to spit take less than a second later at the taste of age-old dirt and stone. 

The puzzles were yet again quite simple, and it didn't take very long to breeze through the shrine (granted, he had rushed through it faster than the last 3). The most significant roadblock was another miniature guardian patrolling one of the shrine's watery paths. This seemed as good a time as any for Link to blow off some steam. 

With the sledgehammer. 

Repeatedly. 

The poor thing hadn't even turned around by the time he was upon it. It did, however, leave behind a plethora of parts, which Link stuffed into the bottom of his backpack. He took this opportunity to transfer the contents of his pockets there too, which was a little more comfortable. 

Another monk, another orb, another speech he didn't understand, and the final shrine was down. When Link stepped out into the chill mountain air, the sun was beginning to set. Not fully, but flecks of orange were already painting the horizon, and the blue sky was darkening in hue. He stopped to admire the view whilst stewing on his still muddled emotions. This was it, the end of the Plateau. They were leaving when he walked back down this hill, out into the great wide world. The Great Plateau was massive in its own right, having many parts that Link and Ruto had skipped over entirely. But it wasn't the same. 

Once they left, would he then be forced to confront Ganon? Thus far, the shrines served as an excuse for him to put off the inevitable reckoning with his future. That wouldn't hold up any more. There was likely much for Ruto to tell him as well, especially seeing as how they'd beelined to the Cryonis shrine without much conversation. Would knowing about his past make any of this any easier? Would he receive some grand flashback, and suddenly come to terms with reality? Would Ruto still be keeping him largely in the dark? 

Why couldn't he just decide? Why was he so eager to know the truth, and yet so afraid of it?

Link's train of thought was completely derailed by a shiver running down his spine, colder than even the air around him. 

"A lovely view tonight, isn't it?" 

That was not Ruto's voice. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, a couple chapters so far have gone through pretty major rewrites. If you've read through the comments of chapters 1, 2 and 4 you'll know that the whole Plateau section went in a ton of different directions before I settled on the final outline that I've been writing for you all thus far. And while I don't have the drafts for those saved, I do have a few drafts from scrapped chapters/scenes so far and I anticipate many more. So, my question for you is thus: 
> 
> Should I post the outtakes as a separate work, and if so, should I post them alongside existing chapters or wait until the fic is over? Let me know how you feel in the comments. Some, I scrapped because they too heavily imply something that happens or gets revealed later to the point of being spoilery, so those will obviously have to wait. Most, however, will just be simple "I liked this way better." 
> 
> Also, thanks for bearing with the slooow exposition. As you may have guessed from the title, we're ramping things up soon.


	8. The Point of No Return

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The plan WAS to upload at the (semi) usual time, but when I hit the word count most chapters are at, we still weren't at the big reveal yet. I felt like another chapter where we aren't at the reveal would be pushing it, so I just made this one as long as two chapters. Enjoy!

At first, only Link's head turned. The rest of his body caught up not long after he spotted the stranger, standing on the opposite edge of the hill. They were large, far larger than Link, but shorter than Ruto. Stockier, too. They wore a hodgepodge of unassuming, tattered brown clothes, complete with a black hood that concealed the upper half of their face. Their only discernible features were a bushy, flowing white beard, and a long brown nose. This, coupled with the deep voice, led Link to believe they were a very old man. 

His gloved hands rested easily on a wooden cane, at the end of which hung an unlit lantern. His stance was casual as he gazed off into the fledgling sunset, not intimidating in the slightest, and yet Link remained wary. Not out of fear that he was somehow dangerous, but out of suspicion. Though she never confirmed it outright, Ruto had made it sound like they were alone on the Plateau. On top of that, the man's choice of dress bore a striking resemblance to hers. Namely, the hood. Ruto's words from earlier in the day flitted through Link's mind.   
  
_"You have friends who will likely want to see you. Some of them offered to come with me on these trips, but I insisted they stay, lest you have a crowd of hooded strangers waiting when you awoke."  
  
_ Maybe they had shown up anyway. Maybe this was the plan from the start. 

Maybe he was overthinking someone wearing a hood on a cold evening. 

All the same, Link waited. He waited for a followup of some kind, one that never came. The old man slowly turned his head towards him, perhaps in much the same situation, and so Link decided to break the silence with the question most heavily on his mind.  
  
"Who are you?"  
  
"Isn't that much obvious?" He replied in a cool, cryptic manner. "I can't imagine you've missed the commonalities between myself and your cloaked companion."   
  
The tiniest of gasps flew from his lips. He wasn't expecting it to be that easy.  
  
"I shall spare you the deception, but know this: I have not the time to answer your questions. I am here to offer you my aid, and then we must go our separate ways."

Curiosity and indignation birthed an annoyed expression, and a matching response.

"No. I'm not doing this again, tell me who you are." 

"My identity means little to you now. We are not friends, if that's what you're wondering.'"

Well, there went that theory.

"Besides, I wasn't lying when I said there was no time. The cold will take its toll erelong."

"I'll be fine." Link huffed. In truth, his feet were beginning to feel numb. The frigid climate didn't blend well with his boots being damp from the shrine's water, but he was willing to overlook it. The rest of his body was mildly uncomfortable, at worst.

"You might." He countered simply, undeterred by Link's fierce attitude, "But _she_ won't." 

The old man gestured loosely over Link's shoulder, and it took him less than a second to catch his meaning. He spun quickly on his heels to look down at the camp, where Ruto was exactly as he had left her. Seated on the overturned log, back to them, though the log seemed a little closer to the fire than before. From here, he couldn't tell anything was wrong.

"I doubt you can see it, but your amphibious friend lost consciousness not long after you left. She may hide it well, but even the most resilient Zora is crippled by extreme cold. The snow will claim her before sunset."

It was a bold claim to make out of the blue, one that Link was largely unconvinced by. But largely did not mean entirely, so he knelt to collect a wad of snow in his hands. Rolling it into a sphere (and ignoring the prickly chill in his fingers) he tossed the snowball down towards the camp, where it collided softly with Ruto's side.

His nerves spiked when there was no response.

"Wait." The stranger cut in, having sensed that the next course of action was shouting. "Do not wake her yet. It has been exceedingly difficult to catch you on your own, and if you would allow me a moment to explain myself, we will be done before her condition worsens." 

Link turned back towards the man with a harsh glare, weighing his options. He would forever regret it if he missed out on whatever vital information he allegedly held, and there was no guarantee waking Ruto would do anything but rock the boat. Surely she would be fine for a few minutes?

"Make it fast." He replied bitterly, setting his hands on his hips. 

The sturdy man nodded once in acknowledgement. 

"Though she is trying her best, I fear Ruto has made several mistakes since your awakening. Her composure crumbled the instant you deviated from our expectations, and nothing has gone as it was planned since. The Great Plateau, on top of being isolated from external threats, was meant to test you. To push you to your limits, force you to survive. But she let emotions cloud her judgement, and I fear she has had too heavy a hand in your success." 

He stopped briefly, perhaps expecting Link to interject, but he didn't. 

"She has robbed you of what should have been a catalytic struggle. Various things have been left for you on the Plateau, as you may have guessed. Weapons, clothes, supplies, all of which you were meant to discover on your own. Needing to rely solely on what you could find would have pushed you to be resourceful, but instead you've had a fair deal handed directly to you. It is much too late for me to intervene in that regard, so I wish to point you in the direction of two final gifts before you leave the Plateau rather than leave your finding them to chance. That being said..."

A smirk played at his aged lips.

"...The journey will only get harder from here. You will need to adopt these skills going forward, and I intend to start you down that path sooner rather than later. Imagine, if you will, an 'X' painted across the breadth of the Great Plateau. At the end of each line is a shrine, and it is where the 4 meet that you shall find my gifts."

He let out a low, dry chuckle, and Link bit back an irritated growl.

"Now, I believe I have meddled enough for one day. Farewell, Link. Perhaps we shall meet again." 

The man raised one thick hand in a lazy wave, and began to walk off to his right, behind the shrine.

"Hold it." Link called, head buzzing with questions. He stopped mid stride, then held a finger up sharply as if he had just remembered something.

"Ah, you're right! Say nothing of my presence here, I'm sure Ruto would be most disappointed to learn I interfered. She sorely needs the confidence boost." Another wave, and he was off.

He disappeared behind the shrine, and when Link rounded it after him, he was gone. His footprints ended abruptly in place, and there was no sign of him anywhere. Link walked around the entire shrine twice, once forward and once backward. But he found nothing. He stood there in the snow, dumbfounded, trying to piece some sort of explanation together when he remembered something very important: 

Ruto was still freezing to death, wasn't she? 

This mystery would have to wait. Forgoing caution, Link leapt off the shrine platform, and slid down the relatively short slope of the hill instead of taking the winding path. He hopped over the log, stepped in front of Ruto, and clamped his hand onto her shoulder. Her head was hung loosely forward, and her body rocked by tiny shivers. Her breaths were so slow it was almost hard to feel them, but they were there. 

Only as relief washed over him did Link realize just how alarmed he was. 

He shook her once, gently, and netted only a sharp snort. He shook her more forcefully the second time, and with a dull groan, she slowly rose to correct her hunched posture. There was a moment of calm where she looked up at Link, clearly still half asleep, and yawned.  
  
Then she remembered where they were, and her breathing accelerated on the spot.  
  
"Oh! H-hello, Link." Ruto murmured sheepishly, "How long have I been out?"  
  
"A few minutes." His answer was hasty, and somewhat automatic. Now it was his turn to scrutinize her, though there was little he could gather with so much baggy cloth in the way. Her breathing had evened out, but the shivering was about the same.   
  
"Is everything alright? You seem worried."  
  
He squinted, marveling at the apparent disconnect between their perspectives.  
  
"You just fainted."   
  
" _Fainted?_ I'll concede that I did not mean to fall asleep, but saying I fainted sounds a touch dramatic."  
  
Link's face couldn't seem to decide whether it was confused, annoyed, or relieved. Neither could his brain, in all fairness.  
  
"I thought Zora couldn't handle the cold?"   
  
"Mmm, to an extent. Our bodies begin to slow down, making us drowsy and sluggish to reduce our need for heat. I thought I might just rest my eyes for a moment, but it seems I overestimated myself."  
  
Link waited, trying and failing to tell if she was lying. Her concealing choice of clothes was beginning to wear on him, more than it already had been. Finally, he dropped the hand from her shoulder and softened his expression.  
  
"So you're not dying? You're not about to black out?"   
  
"I appreciate your concern, but no." With a slow stretch, she rose to her feet, and began fixing her trident back into it's strap along her back. Link had to wonder if the Old Man had knowingly exaggerated, or simply misinterpreted. Likely the former.   
  
"I will admit I'm tired, but not on the verge of collapse. I haven't been sleeping well, and I may have overexerted myself today. Despite your walking speed, you're quite a challenge to keep up with, you know. You regain your stamina remarkably fast."   
  
"We could've taken longer breaks if you had asked."  
  
"I know, I know." She said bashfully, "But for all my talk of patience earlier, I'm too eager to press on. I suppose that makes me something of a hypocrite, doesn't it?"  
  
Link couldn't deny that he felt the same. Amongst his conflicting emotions, the drive to move forward was starting to exceed his fear by a hefty margin.   
  
"Wait a moment. Link?"  
  
He raised a lone eyebrow in acknowledgment.  
  
"How did you know Zora struggle with cold weather?"  
  
He froze, both embarrassed by his slip up and impressed that Ruto had caught it. The old man had clearly asked him not to say anything for a reason, even if that reason seemed a bit silly on the surface. Maybe it was best to respect that for now, and then bring it up gently some other time.   
  
"I don't know." He shrugged. "Remembered it, I guess."   
  
There was a very painful lapse in conversation where he cursed himself for making up such a half baked answer. That is, until Ruto spoke.  
  
"...Do you remember _why_ you know this?"   
  
Link shook his head, brows scrunching closer together by the minute.   
  
"I see." Ruto sighed. "It's good that you're remembering things, anyhow."   
  
It was impossible for him to tell whether she was relieved or disappointed.  
  
Or both.  
  
Now that he was no longer fearing for his new-old friend's life, the sense of purpose returned to Link, along with the churning in his stomach. As much fun as standing in the snow was, he decided to break the awkward silence with a cough.   
  
"Speaking of which, that was the last shrine."   
  
"Yes. Yes it was, wasn't it?" There was a cautious sort of excitement to her voice, not unlike the kind he had been battling for most of the day. "I imagine you have a lot of questions, but might I persuade you to save them until we're somewhere a bit warmer? While I may not be dying, the cold is certainly not comfortable."  
  
Link nodded, having assumed this would be the case beforehand. The excuse to put things off a while longer left a conflicted taste in his mouth.   
  
"What are we using for torchwood?"  
  
"Nothing, actually. There should be a much faster way down that doesn't require a torch. May I see the Sheikah Slate?"  
  
He handed it over quizzically, trying to guess at the nature of her way down. Were they going to sled on something? Climb down? She didn't expect him to jump, did she?  
  
"If what I'm told is correct, various Sheikah constructs have 'travel gates' attached to them. Shrines and Towers, namely."  
  
Tower **s**? There were more of them?  
  
"The Slate should be able to take us to any of these gates via a form of teleportation. I think you just- ah!" Ruto held the Slate lower for Link to see, displaying the map from earlier. There were now blue icons all across it much like the Shrine of Resurrection's. From their positions, he could only assume they were the 4 shrines and the tower. She tapped the Shrine of Resurrection's icon, and sure enough, text sprouted up bearing the name. A small box popped onto the screen, bearing the word 'Travel?' with Yes and No below it. Had the Old Man used a similar technique in his earlier vanishing act?   
  
"Hm. We should probably be touching if it is to take both of us." She offered her free hand, which Link took, and no sooner had he than she pulled him back into her ribs.   
"I am not certain as to how this works." She cited at his confused expression. "You wouldn't want to lose an arm because you were too far away, would you?"  
Link accepted this explanation, even if it sounded a bit overcautious. He very much liked having both arms.   
  
Reaching over his shoulder, Ruto selected 'Yes' on the slate, and a strange feeling set in across Link's body. All at once, he went numb. Not in the tingly sort of way he had felt at his awakening, but in a way that would've made his skin crawl if it was still there. There was nothing left to feel, almost as if he'd never had a body to begin with. A blue light enveloped him, perfectly surrounding his form down to the stitches in his clothes, and piece by piece he watched himself being ripped apart. The light peeled off of him in minute, wispy strands, taking a little bit of Link with it every time it did. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see much the same thing happening to Ruto.   
  
The blue light became blinding, filling his vision entirely, and all sound vanished in a single horrifying second.   
  
Sight was the first of Link's senses to return, and he recognized the gloomy stone interior of his would-be tomb right away. He watched the entire process play in reverse, the strips of light pressing together into a more and more humanoid shape. A faint humming, and the gentle blow of wind filled his ears, and once his body was whole, feeling returned to him. As soon as he was able, Link sucked in a lungful of air by reflex. Stepping away from Ruto, he patted his hands roughly across various parts of his body to ensure everything was still where it was supposed to be. His clothes, equipment, and more importantly bones all seemed to be in order. Still breathing heavily, he turned to find Ruto finishing the same pat-down on herself.   
  
The process wasn't painful, or even uncomfortable really. Just terrifying. The complete absence of control over your own body, the loss of feeling in a way no living being could comprehend or describe. Words failed to convey anything but a shadow of the experience.   
  
"Still have both arms, Link?" Ruto breathed, attempting to mask her unease with humor. He performed one more compulsory inspection of his body, before flashing a thumbs up.   
  
Once the initial shock faded, Ruto's head began to swivel in various directions around the room. They were in the vestibule leading to the tub that had housed Link's body for a hundred years. Her gaze lingered particularly long in the direction of the aforementioned tub, and she gave a single, muted laugh. 

"It is strange to think that I was here but a hundred years ago." She mused quietly. "It feels longer, like I've been waiting for this day my entire life. Everything before the Calamity feels so.....small. Distant."   
  
She stood there, staring into the distance for a time, before turning back to the Shrine's exit abruptly.   
  
"Forgive me, we should be going."   
  
Link couldn't think of anything to say, and so he simply nodded.   
  
As he made to leave, he noticed an obstacle that hadn't been there during his previous trip through this hallway. A sturdy wall of earth, at the top of which laid the path out into the Plateau. Maybe it was always there, and he had simply overlooked it in his post-sleep stupor. Regardless, he scrambled up it all the same. He stepped out into the open air, and it wasn't long before Ruto followed. She walked past him, out towards the cliff overlooking Hyrule, the same one he had stood on just a few hours prior. And, a few feet from the edge, she sat. Without looking back, she patted the grass next to her invitingly, and Link went to join her without a second thought.   
  
The ever sinking sun was just as beautiful from here as it was from the top of Mount Hylia, but Link was much too distracted to appreciate it. He tried and failed several times to come up with a smooth way to initiate the conversation, but luckily, he didn't have to.   
  
"Is there anything in particular you'd like to ask?"   
  
She sounded ever so slightly wary, almost like she was studying him, and yet her face remained towards the horizon.   
  
"I want to know everything." Came Link's answer. "Who I am, why I'm here, all of it. Starting from the beginning."  
  
"I figured as much. But before we begin, there is something important I must ask you in exchange. Do not mistake the question for being rhetorical; speak from the heart when you answer."   
  
Again, Link said nothing. But Ruto seemed to take his silence as a response all its own.  
  
"Just before I faced the Bokoblins atop Mount Hylia, you were ready to fight them yourself. When I asked you to stand down, you grew angry. It is clear that you wanted to fight, but my question is why?"  
  
It was a simple question. Or at least, it should have been. When Link tried to think up an answer, it didn't come to him right away. And when it did, he felt unsure of it somehow.   
  
"I want to pull my own weight. I don't like being babied."   
  
"I'm sure you don't. But that isn't the only reason, is it?"   
  
Well no, no it wasn't. But the only other answer that had popped into Link's mind felt too obvious to be worth pointing out.  
  
"Just standing by while you fight them feels wrong."  
  
"Wrong how?"  
  
Link scratched idly at the back of his head in thought, unable to properly phrase his feelings.  
  
"I don't know. Impolite, maybe? Isn't that sort of common sense?"   
  
"In a perfect world, perhaps." Ruto muttered. "Tell me, if you saw a stranger struggling to defend themself against a monster, would you intervene?"  
  
A light scowl crossed Link's face.   
  
"Of course. I can't just watch them die."  
  
"Even if the monster was big? Bigger than me."  
  
"I'd have to at least try."   
  
"I see."   
  
Given the cryptic nature of both her questions and final response, Link expected some kind of explanation to follow, but it never did. She remained totally silent until he spoke up.  
  
"How is any of this important though?"  
  
Still, she said nothing. Link opened his mouth to talk again, and only then did she decide the time was right to speak.  
  
"Though it pains me to admit," She began in an even tone, "I have not been entirely truthful. While many of our interactions have been genuine, others were curated, designed to elicit certain responses from you. Over the course of these short few hours, I have been carefully probing your mind, analyzing who you are through your reactions. Though I do not enjoy having to manipulate anyone, least of all you, it has helped me determine that you are the same man I knew a hundred years ago. Some minor aspects have changed, but at your core, you are still Link."  
  
Whatever outrage rose within him at this revelation was trumped by shock. Even if he could think up some kind of response, his slackened jaw wouldn't collect itself long enough to form the words."  
  
"You were correct in your earlier observation; as it stands, I know you far better than you know yourself. And I know that once I've explained the state of Hyrule to you, you will be consumed by your unshakable sense of duty, weighed down by the crushing responsibility of a hero. If you feel that you aren't ready, that you need more time to prepare, tell me now. I will not judge you for it. But know that once you have chosen to move forward, there is no going back."   
  
She fell silent once more, still facing away from Link. He imagined it was in an effort to give him space, but he could see the way her thumbs twiddled in anticipation of his answer. The answer that in his mind- No, in his heart, he already knew. It was funny, in a bitter, ironic sort of way. That sense of duty was already tugging at him, and it had been since he first gained consciousness. He had passed the point of no return long before Ruto was involved.   
  
There never was a choice, was there?  
  
"It's too late for that." Link stated somberly. "It's already started to eat away at me, we've stalled long enough."   
  
"If that is the case, I believe you are now ready. Ready to hear what happened 100 years ago."   
  
Raising a single finger, Ruto pointed towards Hyrule Castle.   
  
"Do you recall earlier in the day, when you activated the tower? A great, black form swirled around Hyrule Castle."  
  
He nodded in confirmation.  
  
"That, as I mentioned earlier, is a being known as **Calamity Ganon.** A demon of unspeakable power that plagues the land of Hyrule, reborn time and time again throughout the ages. In most cases he appears without warning, wreaking untold havoc before being slain. Due to the lack of survivors and long gaps between his appearances, almost all of our information stems from legend. A great many stories are passed down about Ganon, but one passage in particular caught the King of Hyrule's attention; _'The signs of a Resurrection of Calamity Ganon are clear, and the power to oppose it lies dormant beneath the ground.'  
_  
"And so, the Kingdom set to work excavating large plots of land. Enshrined in the earth, we discovered machines built by our distant ancestors. Most numerous among them were the Guardians, a mechanical army designed to aid in Ganon's downfall. But 4 constructs in particular stood out; machines the size of mountains, so complex they required a pilot to function properly. The **Divine Beasts**."  
  
A vague image flashed through Link's mind, not unlike his visions of the Guardians laying waste to a town. A gargantuan stone bird, made of the same material as the shrines and towers, with the same veins of blue light across its body. Then he saw a similarly built Elephant, and then a lizard, and then a camel. He had clearly seen these 'beasts' before.   
  
"This happened to align with another legend. One of a Princess, in whose veins flowed the Blood of the Goddess Hylia, and her knight, chosen by a sacred sword. Together, they were able to defeat Ganon, sealing him away for 10,000 years. 100 years ago, the princess of Hyrule began to show signs of aptitude for a similar power, one that manifested only in daughters of the Royal Family. It was clear to all that we were fated to follow in our ancestor's footsteps. Four skilled individuals were selected to pilot the Divine Beasts, the greatest warriors in all of Hyrule. The four pilots, the Hylian Princess, and her appointed Knight formed a team. They were named Champions."   
  
Another image, this one of 6 figures silhouetted against the sunset. 5 of them, all varying in shape and size, kneeling in a half circle before the sixth. The Princess and her Champions, likely.   
  
"The Knight was able to claim the ancient hero's blade, a sign that he had been chosen to carry out the goddess' will. The four Champions had gained supreme control over their respective beast. Every town, village and fort armed itself to the teeth in preparation. But the Princess never learned the key to controlling her powers. In spite of all her efforts, her fervent prayers went unanswered. And when it seemed that she was on the brink of discovering the key, Ganon struck." The last sentence carried a hint of regret, one that grew heavier as her story went on.  
  
"In our hubris, we assumed Ganon to be a mindless creature bent on destruction. But in reality, he was far more intelligent than we could have known. Erupting from beneath Hyrule Castle, Ganon seized control of the Guardians and Divine Beasts. His vile magics corrupted them, and with a veritable army of monsters and machines at his disposal, the demon laid waste to Hyrule."   
  
The piercing blue eye of a Guardian swam before Link's vision, vanishing with a blinding flash of light.   
  
"Many lost their lives that day, but three key figures survived. The Knight, fighting to his last breath, led the Princess away from the doomed Castle. For reasons yet unknown, he brought her to a far corner of Hyrule, where one of the four Divine Beasts sat. Unbeknownst to them, Ganon had planted a horrendous monster in the beast's belly to slay its pilot. The Knight, battered and broken by his journey, was no match for the creature. But as it attempted to deliver the mortal blow, the Princess' powers awakened."  
  
Another beam of light, this one a warm gold instead of electric blue. A distinct, familiar ringing filled Link's ears with it, only to fade into the wind seconds later.   
  
"Calling down a ray of divine power, the Princess struck down the monster, saving the beast's pilot. But the damage had already been done to her Knight. In a final, desperate bid for victory, the Princess marched upon Hyrule Castle, and allowed herself to be consumed by Calamity Ganon. Bringing the full might of the Goddesses to bear, she trapped Ganon within the castle walls, and by extent herself. There the two have sat, entangled in a never ending struggle for the past century. That Princess' name was Zelda."   
  
Several loose ends inside Link's head connected themselves in that instant. He knew Zelda, and if not for his damnable amnesia, he might have even known her well. Now he understood why her name sounded important, why he felt drawn towards Hyrule Castle. Mentally, he could see her. A young girl, around his own age, with blonde hair and green eyes. Her broad cheeks were coated in tears and mud.  
  
"Zelda...." he whispered.   
  
As realization gradually began to dawn on Link, he expected himself to be overwhelmed by some grand display of shock. But the reality of it was much simpler. Every word of the story sounded intrinsically natural, as if he had always known these things from the start. And that made it all the more painful. There was no room for doubt that all of it was true, these were the perfectly fit pieces to the puzzle that was his memory. And so the knowledge that so much more was so close, and yet so far out of his reach was maddening. To know something, and yet be entirely unable to remember until it's spoonfed to you. The sensation tore at him like a horde of angry bees.   
But there would be a time for torment later.   
  
  
"I can tell by your expression that you've started to remember."   
  
"Vaguely. It all sounds correct, and there are brief flashes of events playing out, but none of it is cohesive."  
  
"And do you remember the part you play in all of this, Link?"  
  
He nodded grimly, holding his nerves at bay through sheer force of will. The realization of his own identity was surprisingly bitter, which only served to aggravate his conflicted feelings of self doubt and restless obligation. He could remember little of his own alleged demise, just the flashing blue and gold lights contrasted against a dimly lit void. There was nothing graphic about the image, and yet it filled him with unspeakable dread.  
  
"I was the Knight." He intoned. "Zelda's knight. So I died, and I've been in the Shrine for a hundred years?"  
  
"That is correct. The Princess has been holding Ganon at bay all this time, in the hopes that you would return to deliver Hyrule from its fate."  
  
The weight of mystery had finally been lifted from Link's shoulders, but the burden of knowledge was hardly lighter. It was much simpler, at the very least. A pain much easier to cope with.  
  
"But why _me_? Why am I so special?"  
  
"I know it may be hard to believe, but you are easily the greatest warrior in all of Hyrule. You alone have won battles that should have taken a full garrison of knights, survived wounds that would kill any other man. You were able to wield the sword that seals the darkness, a feat none have claimed in milenia."   
  
Ruto's voice was filled with jubilant admiration, not unlike a child describing a hero from a storybook. It touched Link, but it also made the burden heavier.   
  
"On that fateful day one hundred years ago, you ran, climbed, and rode for hours on end without pause, halting only at death's door. I have borne witness to your countless deeds of heroism, and I know that with a little help, you can save us. All of us."   
  
He wanted to believe it. After all, who wouldn't want to believe that they were a supernatural one man army? But of all the things he had been told, from immortal demons to machines the size of mountains, this one fact seemed _too_ fanciful. His few brushes with combat so far proved that he was skilled, but not anywhere near the stuff of legend that she was describing.   
  
"How do I know this isn't another fabrication? That you're not just building my confidence up baselessly?"  
  
Link could almost see Ruto deflate before she answered. Her voice dropped back into its previous steady tone, tinted with traces of melancholy.  
  
"You don't. You have every right to be doubtful, especially after I deceived you. But surely you've noticed that I've yet to lead you astray? Everything I've done has been in an effort to help you, even if it does not always appear that way."  
  
This, he noted internally, was true. But it wasn't enough. He needed more than just the words for a supposed friend for something of this magnitude. Especially a 'friend' still keeping so much from him. Desperation could lead people to making all kinds of rash decisions.   
  
Link took a deep breath to calm himself, exhaling in a mildly distressed manner.   
  
"If you want me to take your word for it, you need to tell me who you are. I'm not going any further with a hooded stranger."   
  
There was another pause where Ruto's ever present cowl hid her reaction. But whatever it is, it was strong enough that she didn't speak for the next few seconds.  
  
"I had hoped that when I described the events of the Calamity, you would remember me as you remembered Zelda. How foolish of me."   
  
Regret filled Link instantly. He hadn't meant to come off that brash.   
  
"Well, as you said, I've stalled long enough. If it cannot be helped, moping will achieve nothing."   
  
Ruto shifted herself in the grass to better face Link, and he did the same. Slowly, agonizingly, she brought her hands up to either side of her hood, and froze there. Seconds became minutes as he waited for the reveal, and in one sudden, sharp motion, she lifted the entire hood off of her face, detached entirely from the rest of the cloak.   
  
The first thing that Link noticed was her face. It resembled that of a Hylian woman's, save for the fact that she had no nose. Her face was covered in the same cream white scales as her palms, and her lips were a soft pink. Her eyes were the same shade of amber he had seen earlier in the day, with the same black ovoid pupils. She had no visible cheekbones, and a narrow but round jawline.   
  
The upper regions of her head more closely resembled a fish than a Hylian. Her forehead was a rounded slope that stuck outward a little, covered in the same ruby red scales as her outer arm. Two fin-like protrusions hung from either side of her head, framing her face between. Link's earlier assumption about her hair had been wildly off mark, for she had none. Instead, her head ended in a long fish tail that hung limply behind her.   
  
She was so incredibly alien in concept, but somehow stunningly beautiful. On top of the natural radiance she emanated, her head was adorned with a variety of silver chains and jewelry. They formed elaborate shapes and symbols that wreathed her countenance in shimmering light without being obtrusive towards her natural beauty. 'Pretty' was the word one might use to describe a flower or dress, but it was woefully inadequate in this case. Link struggled to conjure up an adjective that conveyed his feelings.   
  
Her expression had started out unreadable, but it split into a shy (but clearly pleased) grin soon after. Likely in response to Link's poorly contained gawking.  
  
"I typically don't wear my Regalia outside of official trips, but I thought it might help restore your memory. I was rarely without it in our later interactions. Does it look familiar at all?"  
  
It did. So much so that Link was too preoccupied with the rush of mental activity to reply.  
  
The various flashbacks he had witnessed throughout the day played back, this time in more detail. No one image stayed still long enough for Link to gather any meaningful context, but that didn't matter. The important part of them was staring him in the face, and had been for the past few hours.   
  
She had been smaller when they last saw each other, a good head or so shorter than Link. Her jewelry was similar, but different enough that he could tell the modern version to be a reforging of the originals. She looked younger in a sense beyond literal age, more full of life and joy. A bright blue sash was draped across her chest, and a vastly oversized trident rested in her arms. He could hear the echoes of her voice, higher and softer but clearly belonging to the same woman.   
  
"I, like you, was one of the six Champions. I was tasked with piloting the Divine Beast Vah Ruta, an elephant. We were close friends, leading up to your death, and I would like to believe we still are. Do you remember?"  
  
It hit him, right then and there. The word that had eluded Link all day. In a stroke of unbridled excitement, he blurted it out.  
  
 **"Mipha!"**  
  
Her smile stretched even wider.   
  
"It is good to see you again, Link." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the part where the story gets both more scary and more fun for me to write. From here on I have a lot more freedom with how things proceed, which is a double edged sword because I don't have the concrete excuse of the Plateau to lean on. I'm excited though, and hopefully you all are too!


	9. Mipha's Memories: Contrition

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mipha's Memories will be a series of intermission chapters from Mipha's point of view, set before Link's revival in Chapter 1. Some will be related to the mainline chapters before or after them, others will be independent, and most won't appear in chronological order. Some of them may also be shorter than average, but this one turned out to be longer than most chapters. 
> 
> Next chapter will return to the story I spent forever building up, haha. Enjoy!

Mipha had never been terribly fond of flowers. 

That is, until she met Link. 

It was likely owed to zora culture. Because they had not always been so freely able to traverse land, flowers were something they of course knew about but didn't care for nearly as much as hylians. The fact that they only lived for a few days after being plucked and rarely survived underwater didn't help. More common gifts among zora consisted of jewels, coral, pearls, accessories, adornments, particularly rare or hard to catch fish, and other things that would be considered both bizarre and mundane by the other races. 

If you were to gift a hylian a raw Sanke Carp, they'd either look at you as if you had grown a second head, or pretend to be extremely grateful only to more or less disregard it later. Conversely, the same was true of giving a zora flowers. 

So when Link began to bring her flowers, Mipha was understandably a bit off-put. She didn't have it in her to tell him that they made for poor gifts, especially when he seemed so nervous about her reaction while presenting them. So she would put on her best polite-princess smile, and accept them with the gratitude she had learned to feign for a variety of gifts. 

But then one day, because of a completely offhanded comment from Muzu, she discovered that flowers were not the cheap token of friendship she had assumed them to be. Flowers were a gift hylians reserved for very close friends and family. 

And in many cases, they were a gesture of courtship. 

As you can imagine, Mipha's enthusiasm for the flowers Link brought her greatly increased from that point forward. She even bought a little vase for them, which she kept by her sleeping pool. 

Even as Link began to drift farther away from her, as he retreated into his stone shell and his visits became more rare, he always made sure to bring her a bouquet of flowers. Ones he had hand picked himself on his travels, from every corner of Hyrule. 

**________________________________________________**

It took a positively herculean amount of effort for Mipha to pull herself from her reminiscing. The fluttery, warm feeling in her chest left her in the form of a dreary sigh, and faded into the night air. Even all these months after the Calamity, the Great Plateau was far from safe. The Guardians, as far as she could tell, were well beyond function. But monsters yet stalked the hills. 

It was with both great reverence and caution that she set the bundle of Violets down, a step away from the Shrine of Resurrection's sealed door. She cast one last glance at her surroundings to confirm she was alone, before taking a seat just in front of the flowers. She kept her eye trained on them, not daring to look up at the door. Unable- _Unwilling_ to remind herself. It was all she could do to keep her voice calm and steady as it was. 

"Hello again, Link. It has been a while since we last spoke." 

As if in reply, the wind kicked up just enough to rustle the Violets' petals for a moment. Mipha felt the corner of her lips tug upward in the ghost of a smile, too weak to form the full expression. 

"I know they are not your favorite, but I brought you some Violets. Sidon helped me pick them. He asks about you a lot, you know. Every few days, he'll ask me when you're going to wake up. And, in truth, I ask myself the same question twice as often." She kept her sentences short, desperately needing the breaths in between to hold herself together. "He's finally warmed up to you, just like I always said he would. Muzu.... I cannot say that he likes you, but he respects you. Bazz has started training twice as hard. Kodah came and apologized the other day, it sounds like she's forgiven you. I could go on, but I suppose what I'm trying to say is...." 

In spite of her efforts, Mipha's steady voice was growing progressively more quavery. The edges of her face were beginning to tingle with the rapid flow of blood, and her jaw muscles were becoming so tense it was almost painful to speak.

"Everyone misses you. Not all of them know that you're here, only father and Sidon. But if they did, I know they would be excited for your return. Even Muzu." The last sentence was punctuated with an artificial laugh, so devoid of spirit it almost sounded sarcastic. Regret filled Mipha instantly, and a sour taste flooded her mouth. 

"As for me... I suppose I am doing well. My duties have been mostly relegated to healing as of late, seeing as there's not much Domain left to govern. It's bittersweet. I remember lamenting our shared lack of free time not long ago. And now I finally have it, but you're not here to enjoy it with me." She didn't bother trying to force a laugh this time. 

A dull silence set in as the line of thought came to an end, and with it came a creeping anxiety. Hastily, Mipha scoured her mind for something to say, for fear of what might happen should she be alone with her thoughts for too long."Do you remember the last conversation we had atop Vah Ruta?" 

The very same conversation where she had resolved to protect him. To always heal him, no matter how bad the wound. 

"I mentioned that I was afraid. We knew so little about Ganon, had no idea what he was capable of. And though you were determined not to show it, I know you were afraid too." A single tear formed around the edge of her right eye, but she did her best to ignore it. She had learned the hard way that you could not always fight tears, only refuse to acknowledge them. 

"Well, I'm still afraid. Terrified, even. I am not too proud to admit that I suffer frequent night terrors. But for all my fear, I feel that I could face Ganon tomorrow if it meant you would wake up. Nothing he can do to me will ever be as painful as this wait." Another tear emerged from beneath her eye, quickly pursuing the first as it streaked down her face.

That sentence had sounded much happier in her head. Much more like a romantic proclamation that would lift her spirits, and less like the grim reminder of her guilt that it was. Of the festering anguish caused by her unwitting hand in Link's death, and possibly that of Hyrule itself. No matter how hard she or anyone else tried to convince her that there was nothing she could have done, the iron grasp of doubt was absolute. No amount of kind words would change that. 

Over the course of the conversation, it had become harder and harder for Mipha to maintain the lighthearted talk of home and flowers that she had opened with. It had become harder to stick with the front of friendly conversation with her friend, to pretend she wasn't pouring her regrets out to a slab of stone. And soon, she lost track of that front entirely, too exhausted to pretend nothing was wrong. 

"How I wish it were that simple." She whispered. "That I could simply take your pain as my own, suffer in your stead. Then, I could make up for my failures. I could undo all the pain I caused you, fulfill the promise I made to protect you." More tears. Still only one at a time, but with much less of a delay in between. 

"Perhaps then, I would be able to forgive myself." 

It was becoming difficult to ignore them now, but still, Mipha pressed forward. She stopped only to wipe her eyes on her arm before continuing, needing the catharsis of speaking her thoughts aloud far too much to stop.

"D-do you know what the worst part is, Link? I know that when you wake up, even if you remember all that has transpired, you will forgive me. You will look at me with those same compassionate eyes, that same understanding smile, and say that you could never hold it against me." 

It was almost too much to bear. The strain was now almost intolerable, the muscles in her face trying their hardest to break into a sob, but she held them at bay with the leds shreds of willpower she had left. She wrenched her jaw open to force the last words out, her final confession. Not to Link, for she knew that in truth he could not hear her. But to herself. 

"And knowing that makes it hurt even more." 

One more tear proved to be the limit. The drop of water that caused the dam to burst. Her teeth clenched into a tight grimace, and rivers began to pour from her eyes. Her breathing became erratic, each exhale rocking her torso, and the sound of her own sniveling blocked out all surroundings. 

Here was Hyrule's last champion, the great Princess Mipha, bawling like a child over failures of her own making. That's exactly what she was, wasn't she? A pathetic child, naive and conceited enough to think she could save Hyrule. Playing hero while others paid the price for her folly. Holding conversations with figments of her imagination, and devolving into a teary-eyed mess halfway through. 

Visiting Link's tomb was supposed to comfort her, even if only in a hollow, ephemeral sort of way. But instead, it served to accentuate all that was wrong. Her entire world had been turned upside down, the optimism she had been fighting so hard to cling to for years shattered overnight. Her lone anchor was Link's resurrection, a goal that seemed farther and farther out of reach every day. It could be months, or years, or centuries away. Who was to say she would survive that long between the monsters, the Yiga Clan, and her disintegrating mental health. 

Who was to say Link would ever wake up at all?

She was broken. Completely and Utterly. 

And so, bereft of whatever crumb of hope she had come here with, Mipha did the only thing she could think to do. She cried. Holding her jaw shut to muffle the sobs, she let the tears flow until her eyes ran dry. She stopped thinking, content to let the surge of emotion overpower conscious thought. And by the time she returned to reality, it was over. She was left with only the bitter, post-breakdown weakness of her body being too drained to cry any more. It brought a certain clarity with it, a calm that existed only because there was nothing else to feel. And it was because of that clarity that she noticed something;

She was no longer alone. 

She could see them just out of the corner of her eye, a figure standing mere feet from where she sat. They were no monster, but appeared to be a very large hylian, several times larger and wider than herself. Still, she wrapped a hand around her Trident, rising to a kneel. The recent months had taught her that people could often be scarier than any monster, Yiga or otherwise. 

They were dressed in a set of dark, unassuming worker's clothes, complete with a hood. A prominent brown nose stuck out from it, below which rested a bushy white be-

"I......King Rhoam?" The zora mumbled.

The hooded figure heaved a mighty breath, releasing it as a gravelly sigh. 

"I take it my disguise needs a bit of touching up." He answered calmly. 

The shock was almost enough to rouse Mipha from her grief stricken state. Almost. Her hand didn't move from the Lightscale Trident's hilt, and a weary scowl crossed her face. King Rhoam had died during the Great Calamity, she was sure of it. It was most likely a Yiga impersonation, but why him of all people, and why dressed like that?

"I am in no mood for games." She responded with what little ferocity she could muster. "Who are you really?" 

"This is no trick. I am, as you said, the late King of Hyrule."

'Late'? 

"The King of Hyrule is dead. He led a contingent of Knights here to draw the Guardians from Castle Town, I all but watched him die." Mipha's irritation was steadily rising, fueled by the mix of exhaustion, confusion and fear. 

"Indeed." Came his somber reply. "You were here when Link was placed into the Shrine of Resurrection, and a Sheikah scout escorted you away before the brunt of Ganon's forces arrived. I remember it as though it were yesterday." 

The chances of a Yiga agent having witnessed that were slim, but not impossible. Slowly, Mipha stood up, her scowl hardening.

"You expect me to believe that you survived?" She asked warily.

The 'King' said nothing. Instead, he lifted his right hand, and took hold of the glove on it with his left. He took a step towards Mipha as he did this, and had she not been so drained, she would have immediately moved back or drawn her weapon. But she simply watched as he drew closer.

He stopped just out of arm's reach, pulling the glove off, and stretching his hand out towards her. She looked on in confusion at first, unsure of what he was trying to show her, until she noticed his hand had a ghastly green tint to it. 

And more importantly, it was translucent. She could see the ground straight through it, albeit not clearly. 

It took Mipha's brain a solid 10 seconds to register what this meant, and once it had, another 15 to even attempt formulating a response. 

"You're.....you really are....." 

"The Late King of Hyrule." He repeated ruefully.

Mipha's hand slipped limply off of the trident, and hovered apprehensively over his own. Like diving into cold water, she thrust it down swiftly, and it passed through with no resistance whatsoever. The only indication that she had made contact was a sickening chill around her fingers. 

"I don't believe it." She breathed, looking up at Rhoam's ghost with her impossibly wide eyes. His face seemed entirely normal, for whatever reason. Just as solid and alive as her own. In spite of her words, she very much so believed it. It explained everything; his presence, totally silent appearance, and the feeling of being watched that she had tried so hard to shake. Amidst all the bizarre, supernatural phenomena in Hyrule, ghosts were hardly the most far fetched. 

"All that you have said is correct. I was killed not longer after your departure, and have remained here as a spirit ever since." 

"But how? How is this possible?" 

"Perhaps it is the work of the goddess, perhaps the old legends about those with unfinished business are true. In the end, it doesn't matter. What matters now is that I am here, and I intend to make the most of it."

"By doing what?"

Replacing his glove, the spirit gestured towards the shrine's stone doors. 

"The same thing as you." 

If zora were capable of blushing, Mipha's cheeks would be the same color as her forehead. 

"I-I don't suppose you were listening to, um, you know..." 

Her stomach spasmed painfully when he nodded in confirmation. 

"I'm afraid so. You'll have to forgive me for eavesdropping, but I thought it best not to interrupt you." 

A meek 'Thank you.' was all Mipha could think to respond with, her mood only flimsily shielding her embarrassment. The King replied with another understanding nod. 

"That being said, you did say something rather interesting. Something I feel merits elaboration." 

Her lips twisted into an uncomfortable frown, and she grumbled beneath her breath. 

"While I understand that you didn't intend to hear all of that, you're starting to overstep your bounds." Only through the infinite grace of Nayru was Mipha able to stifle her offense. She could only be so upset that he had accidentally overheard, but asking her to delve deeper into it? Surely he wasn't so insensitive.

"I realize that I'm asking a lot of you," He began, raising a hand apologetically, "but I assure you it is for good reason."

"That reason being?" 

"I know how you feel, and more importantly, how you can deal with it." 

Mipha's first response was to feel outraged. Furious that he would presume to understand her pain, and that he was flagrantly ignoring what she had just said about boundaries. He should be thankful that she wasn't (openly) upset at him for overhearing her darkest thoughts, at the time where she was most vulnerable. Now he had the nerve to try and pry even further? 

"Was I not clear enough the first time?" She asked pointedly, dropping her reserved tone. "I am not interested in your counsel." 

Rhoam, for his part, was mostly unfazed. Or he appeared to be, at the very least. 

"You misunderstand. I am not here to offer you frivolous reassurances, but an outlet. Something meaningful for you to channel your pain into, rather than letting it fester aimlessly."

"I do not want any of what you have to offer." 

"Even if it was a way that you could help Link?" 

The defiant rebuttal died instantly in her throat. A way to help Link, to make up for her failures even if only partially, was what she wanted more than anything. Something she would kill for. It was a desire so strong, that it trumped her anger for the time being.

"I'm listening." She huffed. 

"If what our researchers say about the Shrine of Resurrection is true, Link may awaken with no memory of who he is or the danger Hyrule faces. Only the most basic knowledge will remain, such as the ability to walk and talk. Should this be the case, he will need a guide. Someone to remind him, and more importantly, guide him along the path to Ganon. Originally I had intended to take up this role myself, but I see now that you would be a better fit." 

Amnesia. A very unfortunate likelihood that Mipha had tried her best not to dwell on. The knowledge that should Link ever wake up, he could do so with no memory of her whatsoever, their years together lost entirely. 

The possible nail in the coffin for their relationship.

To be there for him when he awoke was an opportunity she would do anything for. And yet-

"I can't." She muttered bitterly, staring into the grass. 

King Rhoam's stoic complexion broke to reveal an uncharacteristically wild bewilderment. 

"I'm sorry, what?"

"I can't." 

"Of course you can. Zora live for easily several hundred years, do they not?"

Mipha raked her claws down the sides of her face, fighting to contain her frustration. But with how drained she felt, it was a fight she was very much losing. 

"I cannot just watch him traipse off to face Ganon. If I am here when he awakes, I won't be able to stop myself from following him. But I don't trust myself to protect him, either. After what happened, I never will."

"And what happened, exactly?" 

Even thinking about it was a pain too great for her, especially here and now. A despair so persistent that blocking it out had become natural. She could never forget about it, her conscience wouldn't allow her to. But she could do her best to smother it, to bury the memory as deep into the farthest recesses of her mind as was possible. 

For now. 

"I would prefer not to speak of it." 

She could tell by the way his lips thinned that he wasn't content with that answer, but he chose not to press the issue nonetheless. A wise decision, Mipha thought. 

"If you won't tell me, I can only assume you did everything in your power to prevent it. Chastising yourself over the impossible will fix nothing."

"You don't know what you're talking about." She hissed warningly. 

"Then enlighten me. I fail to see why you would turn such an idea down so readily." 

" _Readily!?_ Do you genuinely believe that I don't want to say yes? That I wouldn't give everything to make up for my failure?" To her dismay, fresh tears had wormed their way out of her eyes. She blinked harshly in an attempt to wipe them away. "This is no longer about what I want." 

"Then what's stopping you?" 

The same thing that had stopped her the night Link died. 

Fear. 

The memories forced their way to the forefront of Mipha's thoughts, and the screams rang in her ears with startling authenticity. They were the screams of someone experiencing a pain no earthly wound could inflict, and they had haunted her since the moment she first heard them. 

But Link hadn't screamed when he died. Even as the monster ran him clean through, the only sound he made was a shallow gasp. It was his eyes, the pain in them was louder than any sound in the world. And as the life left them, the only thing they could seem to look at was her. 

No, the screams belonged to Mipha. 

She closed her hands into tight fists, letting each claw dig into her palm. The pain helped anchor her, it made the rush of emotion easier to manage. 

"I didn't just watch him die." She choked. "I... I should have been stronger. Not just physically, but mentally."

"What are you trying to say?" The specter asked cautiously.

Mipha shook her head, praying that she would somehow shake the thoughts loose if she tried hard enough. But in the end, it was to no avail.

"He died because I was afraid. I could have held- _that thing_ back, and I didn't. Even afterward, I was too exhausted to heal him." Wincing, she withdrew the claws from her palms, feeling tiny pricks of blood come out with them. It only made the tears worse. "Ever since he grew up, all I've ever done is hinder him. Get in the way. I can't do it again. I can't." 

"Mipha." The King began tentatively, but she was quick to shout over him.

"Why don't you understand!? There is far too much at stake, I cannot put so many lives at risk for the sake of my own desires." 

"Mipha." 

"No! Stop tr-"

**"MIPHA!"** The diminutive Zora froze in place, indignation quashed by Rhoam's thunderous roar. A skill likely honed by years governing the largest kingdom in the land. It was a wonder the poor girl hadn't bitten her own tongue off in surprise. 

The understanding, almost fatherly tone he had taken earlier was gone, replaced instead by one as hard as steel. 

"You have the gall to lecture me about understanding, while you stand here and feed me lies!?" Mipha was paralyzed, caught too firmly on the back foot to even try arguing. "You aren't just lying to me, you're lying to yourself!" 

"I- w-what?" 

"Do you think yourself the only person suffering in the wake of the Calamity!? I stand here, day after day, in the ruins of a kingdom I failed to protect. I watch as my own daughter fights to restrain Ganon, and I think back on how I grievously mistreated her all these years. But to what end?" He leaned down to jab a gloved finger into Mipha's chest, and it felt uncannily like the touch of a fully formed hand. "There is no time for wallowing in self pity. Not for me, not for you, and you know that. You claim to have given up, yet you come back here time and time again. You may have fooled yourself, _but you will not fool me_." 

She continued to stare, jaw hanging limply open as the words echoed through her skull. She wanted to believe, of course she did. But doubt still gripped her heart like a vice. If she failed again, every man, woman and child was guaranteed a horrific end. Her father, Sidon, and especially Link.

Seeing that he now had her attention, the king's ghost lowered his finger and leaned back, taking a less severe (but still stern) timbre.

"You have been given a chance I have not, and I cannot stand idly by while you squander it. Especially not when I know you agree with me, in your heart of hearts. If you are not strong enough to protect him, then you will become stronger. Use your anger and your fear as fuel."

"I-it isn't that simple." She sputtered, finally re-collecting herself. "I spent _years_ training, forcing myself to be better, and I was hardly able to even put up a fight."

"You had no idea what you were up against then. Now, you do. You, Link, and Zelda have survived, and that's what matters most. Now that Zelda has her powers, we have all that we need to seal the beast away." 

Mipha hadn't considered that, but it was true. She sympathized with the hint of remorse in Rhoam's voice at the mention of his daughter, and thought back to the tremendous power Zelda had exerted all those months ago. As ugly as it was to admit, the Calamity may have been prevented had Zelda simply figured her powers out sooner. 

Bit by bit, it was like an oppressive fog was being lifted from her mind. Her head felt clearer somehow, but only barely. 

"On top of that, Ganon was only successful because he knew our plan ahead of time. Now, we know his, and there is little he can do with Zelda restraining him inside the castle." 

Another good point. Still...

"...Are you sure? Is it all really that easy?"

"I never said anything about 'easy.'" He noted darkly. "The coming years will be the hardest of your life. They will be fraught with pain, and at times you will want to quit, just as you do now. But if you don't step up, no one else will." 

This drew a gasp from Mipha. It was barely audible, and yet the air was sucked from her lungs with all the force of a storm. Her thoughts drifted to one of the last times she saw Link before his demise, just after he slew the Lynel of Shatterback Point. What stuck most clearly in her memory was the very end of their conversation. 

_"They're all counting on me, Mipha. If I don't do it, no one else will."_

Anger swelled in her chest once more, but not of the same kind as her earlier outburst. The anger wasn't even for anything done towards her, but towards Link. It was the righteous fury she had felt at Ganon, at the whole of Hyrule for forcing such a soul-crushing burden upon her friend. As that anger burned hotter, Mipha finally understood. Link would hate her for giving in to this weakness. And in truth, Mipha hated herself for it too. More than she did for letting Link die. To abandon him would be to go against everything she stood for. 

She didn't have to forgive herself, not yet. But she couldn't let the guilt rule her. 

"I understand now." She declared, equal parts determined and anxious. Rhoam looked deeply into her eyes, and nodded in recognition. That was all the confirmation he needed. "But where would I even begin? I cannot simply 'become stronger', what would I need to do?" 

"The Plateau's main entrance is still blocked by rubble, so I can only assume you took the hidden way in?" 

Though unsure of where he was taking the point, Mipha returned a nod of her own. Zelda had mentioned it to her at one point. 

"Once you leave, I will seal it. Upon future visits, you will ascend the waterfall on the western edge of the Plateau. It is at least a hundred feet high, and leads into water cold enough to induce frostbite." 

Mipha's stomach returned to its nervous churning. 

"A-are you sure that's safe?"

"On the contrary, I know that it isn't. Strengthening your body will be the first step." Reluctantly, she nodded again. It couldn't be much worse than swimming up the Veiled Falls in Winter, right?

Right? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this is by far the chapter that went through the most rewrites, with only 4.7k words being posted of the 12k(ish) that I wrote. I also meant for this chapter to be short, but I felt like making it short wouldn't work with how much I wanted to convey.


	10. Adloquium

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to keep you all waiting, I took a break from writing in December, and this chapter was a bit of a doozy.

The flow of time halted as the two eyed each other. 

The only indication it yet moved were the tears forming under Mipha's eyes. Though the circumstances of his death remained a mystery, and he had spent the last hundred years asleep, Link couldn't help but feel overcome with sympathy. Something about her face, the way her smile never faltered in spite of her silent weeping, conveyed a century's worth of pain perfectly. It roused feelings so strong that Link felt compelled to throw himself forward and hug her, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He couldn't shake the feeling that it was wrong somehow, that no matter how much he wanted to, he shouldn't. So he settled for placing his hand gently on her wrist, too concerned by Mipha's emotions to wrestle with his own. Her gaze shifted to his hand, then back to his face, and she let out a particularly choked laugh. 

"Ohh, I promised myself I would not cry, but here I am." She sounded happy, even with the tears trailing down her face, and that knowledge set Link somewhat at ease. She took a deep, slow breath to steady herself, using the detached hood of her cloak to wipe her face clean. After setting it in the grass beside them, she turned her wrist over, and enclosed her hands around the one he had put forward. Traces of warmth crept into his cheeks as she did.

"Forgive me. Now that that is out of the way, I must ask. How much do you remember about me? About us?" 

Ah, right. He had been so excited to remember her name at all that he never stopped to look back on what memories might have come with it. That excitement flared again in Link's chest, and he closed his eyes to help tune out his surroundings. All of them, except for Mipha. Even with his eyes closed and his ears unfocused, he could still distinctly feel her palms around his. He began to search his mind, and the very first thoughts to come forward were of the sparring matches, his most vivid memories of her so far. Next came the little flashes throughout the day, the ones he couldn't assign any real context to, and then...

...nothing. Beyond that, there was nothing. He remembered her name, what she had looked like, and the innate sense of fondness that she carried in his head, but that was it. No new memories. 

That couldn't be right. Surely if he had remembered her name and face, he had to remember something new about her. Anything, anything at all. He closed his eyelids even tighter, like it would somehow help, but it proved fruitless. 

How was this possible? Was his brain really selecting what to remember at random? Was remembering Mipha at all a fluke? 

Link's increasingly frustrated musings were disrupted by a sigh, so quiet he had almost missed it entirely. He opened his eyes to find that Mipha's smile had drooped just the tiniest bit. 

"You needn't strain yourself on my behalf. Perhaps the memories will come to you with time, but for now, the fact that you even recognize me means more than you could possibly know." He didn't doubt that she was telling the truth. Even with the disappointment that slipped through the cracks of her smile, she still sounded happy.   
But those hints of disappointment, small as they were, didn't mesh well with Link's own internal frustration. No, he had to try again. For both their sakes.

It was then that his infernal brain decided to grace him with an idea; if he couldn't force himself to produce any new memories, maybe it was worth looking back on the ones he already had. Specifically, the first set of flashbacks that had come to him beneath the tower. They made no sense at the time, but now, maybe now they would be clearer. 

"Give me a bit more time. I want to try something." 

With a slight tilt of the head, Mipha nodded.

Link closed his eyes once more, and thought back to earlier in the day. The tower, the memories, her nails digging into his shoulders. The flashbacks played again in his head, still making little sense if any. The only significant difference was that he now knew the figure's identity for certain. But one particular vision stuck out to him, catching his attention just as he began to lose hope. 

It was the very last one he had seen before being forcefully returned to reality, and though it was hazy at the time, it was a little clearer now. Not much, but enough for a profound anxiety to take root, like a bucket of freezing water being dumped over his head. Mipha was kneeling over him, and they were surrounded by a dim swath of nothing. She was gripping his shoulders again, with a frantic look in her eye. A mortal panic that extended beyond fear. She was shaking him violently, and calling his name with a desperation that strangled whatever joy the idea of new memories had brought. 

And just before the end, before his vision faded, her calls were answered by a wet, raspy cough. 

Link's eyes shot open, and fire filled his lungs. He gulped down as much air as his burning throat would allow, and as soon as he did the pain vanished. Gone, like it was never there to begin with. It seemed that during his reflecting, he had forgotten how to breathe. 

He looked up at Mipha, who's grip on his hand had tightened. She stared at him silently, but expectantly, waiting for his answer to the obvious question. He took a moment more to breathe before giving it, working loose the sharp fear that permeated his being. Carefully, hesitantly, he thought back to what he had just seen before speaking. He picked over the scene several times, almost in disbelief. When he did finally put his thoughts to voice, it was in a fittingly hushed manner. 

"Another flashback. Stronger than I was expecting." 

Gingerly, she learned forward to study his face. 

"What of?" 

He knew what it was. Of course he knew, how could it be anything else? The answer was plain, and he didn't doubt it for even a second. 

But he asked anyway.

"Were you there when I died?" The question came out like an arrow, and as soon as Mipha heard it, she looked as if she had been shot. Her pupils widened until they were almost circular, and she stopped breathing altogether. There was no delicate way to broach this topic, and Link knew it might be something of a sore spot for her, but- he hadn't expected _this_. It only took a few seconds for Mipha to begin recomposing herself, but fleeting as it was, her reaction set Link's mind racing. 

Whatever had happened, it had to have been bad for the mere thought of it to have such a dramatic effect.

Another deep breath, and her shock faded like the air leaving a balloon. Her smile, however, did not return. Left in its wake was a mournful frown. 

"I was, yes. Do you- how much did you see?" 

"Just the end, I think. I was on the ground, with you shaking me. Everything before that is fuzzy, and everything after..." Neither of them wanted to hear the end of that sentence. 

"Is that all?" She asked cautiously. "You cannot recall anything else about it?"

Link shook his head, and though it wasn't by much, he could see Mipha visibly relax. If he tried harder, maybe he could remember it a little more. But in truth, he didn't really want to. He of course wanted to know more about his past, and he couldn't deny being curious about the specifics of his demise, but the one glimpse he had been given so far was terrifying. All his other memories felt detached, less like he was reliving his own experiences and more like he was watching someone else's. Whatever emotions or physical sensations they contained were dulled, barely clear enough for him to know they were present.

But this one, this one was different. The dread he had felt in those short few seconds was nauseating, more potent than anything brought on by the mention of Ganon. It was far too real, too fresh in his mind. 

Mipha's eyes drifted away from him for a moment, finding their new home in the grass. He could tell by the minute twitches of her lips that she was contemplating something, something important. Her expression shifted one final time, settling on a gentle but determined look. Her eyes found their way back to his as she spoke. 

"The circumstances of your death were _difficult_ , to say the least. I know you must be growing tired of hearing this, but I fear they were too difficult for you to handle right now. I have had a hundred years to recover, and the thought of it still haunts me. I can only imagine the toll it would take on you." Not long ago he might have been angry at her for once again withholding information. Had this been any other memory, maybe he still would be. But this time? This time he agreed with her. "In fact, it would be best if you were to avoid thinking about it altogether." 

"I don't need convincing this time." Link replied in a low tone. "I may not have seen much, but what I did see was more than enough." 

"Good." She breathed. "Good, that is good. Might we move on to a lighter note, then? There is something I have been meaning to do, but I wanted to be sure you remembered me first." 

"What's that?"

"Well, if you could take off your backpack, I can show you." 

She let go of his hand, and with a puzzled look, he slid the straps off of his shoulders, spear and hammer falling with them. No sooner did they hit the ground than Mipha's hands darted forward again, hooking under his arms. Before Link understood what was happening, he was being lifted onto his feet and pulled into another spine-crushing hug. He let slip an involuntary gasp out of both surprise and pain, prompting Mipha to soften her grip a little. 

But only a little. 

"I have been waiting a hundred long years for this." She whispered to him. "It needed to be done properly, without the barrier of deception between us." 

That creeping sense of apprehension re-emerged as she clung to him for dear life, only to be smothered by the pang of remorse her words sent through his heart. For some reason, he now felt awful, like he had abandoned her all this time despite having no control over his comatose state. The thought of leaving her hanging mid-hug was too much to bear, worse than whatever irrational consequence his brain could come up with. 

This, Link decided, was a compromise his conscience would just have to live with. 

Throwing caution to the wind, he wrapped his arms around her neck. There was a split second of confusion when he felt them close around cool, solid metal, but he was too lost in the moment to care about that now. The force of her grip was beginning to feel less painful and more endearing, comforting in a way that made him realize just how much he had needed this. The two hugs they had shared earlier weren't quite the same, they lacked the level of emotional charge and gravity that made this one special. But unique as it was, Link was almost certain that they had done this once or twice before. Not necessarily because it felt familiar, but because of the profound longing it instilled in him.

Even though no specific instances came to mind, he knew in his heart that he had missed this.

The smell of Mipha's cloak filled his head with thoughts of running water and indigo mountains. It was the smell of river water, he realized. Not pleasant in its own right, but full of nostalgia. And when intertwined with her earlier descriptions of their home, it made Link realize that he missed Zora's Domain too. He could hardly picture it in his head, still a vague silhouette more than anything, but the emotions behind it were powerful all the same. Only hours ago he had been indifferent, but as his memories gradually returned, so too did a hoard of buried feelings. One by one they were spilling out, faster and faster, too many for him to control. He bit down on his tongue by instinct to steady himself amidst the torrent of thoughts and desires, desperately trying to fend off the veritable ambush taking place in his head. 

He was, among other things, grateful that Mipha could not see his face right now. 

It took a great deal of deep, measured breathing for Link to fully regain control of himself. Mipha must have noticed the change in his breaths, but opted not to say anything, for her grip loosened shortly after he did. It was a slow, testing motion, like she was trying to see how he would react. He gently did the same with his own arms and, at an understanding, the two peeled apart from each other. Now that he no longer needed to match her height, Link returned to sitting at her side, and she cast a bittersweet smile down at him.

"Thank you for indulging me." She nodded. "As much as I would love to continue our reunion, we must return to the matter of Ganon first."

He wasn't sure that his current mood could be described as 'good', but the topic managed to spoil it nevertheless. He could already feel the muscles in his face beginning to tighten reflexively.

"You now know who I am, even if only vaguely, and you know that I have no reason to lie to you." 

Of course he did. Mipha existed in a strange spot within Link's mind, a state of limbo where he could remember only the thinnest of details about her, but knew without question that she wouldn't lead him to his death with false tales of grandeur. But knowing that only made the idea marginally easier to accept. He was still but one man, against an otherworldly evil that could cheat death itself.

"I do." He muttered. "But it's still hard to wrap my head around. I don't feel like the unstoppable knight you say I am."

"I would not expect you to. Had I awoken from a century long coma bereft of all memories, I would not feel particularly confident either." This only prompted a shake of the head, and a frustrated sigh. 

"It's not about confidence. I barely remember how to fight, even if I was good enough once, I'm not now." 

"Think about how much of your memory you have regained today alone. It may not happen right away, but with patience and training, I am certain your skills will return to you." 

Link took to scratching his scalp while considering Mipha's words. They sounded correct and reassuring, so much so that she had likely expected him to have these exact doubts ahead of time, but they still only managed to chip at the fear weighing him down. He had no plans of abandoning his duty, but that didn't make the stress any easier to manage. 

"Even if you're right, and I really am good enough, is skill alone really enough to defeat... _that?_ " He gestured toward the figure of Hyrule Castle on the horizon. Or, more accurately, the great cloud of smoke encircling it. "How would we even kill Ganon? It doesn't look like something that can be stabbed with a sword." 

"On the contrary, do you recall my mention of the sword that seals the darkness?" 

He paused briefly before nodding. That exact sequence of words was now ringing bells it hadn't when she first said them. 

"Whether conventional iron or steel would be effective, I cannot say. But this sword, **the Master Sword** , was made for this very purpose. Our ancestors used it to seal Ganon away millennia ago, and I have witnessed its might firsthand. With it, we can succeed." 

The Master Sword. Its name felt important in a manner similar to Zelda's. No specific imagery came to mind when Link tried to picture it, but it didn't take him long to piece together its significance anyway. 

"That was... my sword, wasn't it?" 

"Indeed. Should you require more proof of your own competence, look no further, for the sword can only be drawn by those it deems worthy." 

"But what does it consider 'worthy'?"

"Yet again, I do not know." She offered sympathetically. "Legend states it can be wielded only by one who is pure of heart and strong of body. It is said that those who are corrupt cannot touch it, and those who are weak are killed merely trying to hold it. But you, you are the first to draw it in 10,000 years. Many before you have tried, and every one of them has failed." 

It was almost too much to believe. A magic, evil-slaying sword that had chosen him specifically out of everyone. A weapon so powerful that people had died just trying to hold it, and somehow Link was able to wield it freely. Logically, it made no sense, but he knew that it was all true. Much like before, Mipha's words served to fill blanks in his memory that he didn't even know were there. Even if he couldn't recall it in great detail, he knew the Master Sword was real, and that he had used it in the time leading up to his demise. 

It didn't get much clearer than that. He knew that asking for more proof at this point would be nothing short of willful ignorance; if the sword deemed him worthy, then maybe he really was capable of defeating Ganon. 

But still, the uncertainty persisted. _If_ , it reminded him. _If_ the sword deemed him worthy. Who was to say it still would?

Pensively, Link turned to face the castle's looming form in the distance. It was getting harder and harder to justify inaction, more difficult to stall out his weighted conscience. He knew what needed to be done, and more or less how to do it. 

"That's it then?" He asked absently, eyes still locked forward. "Draw the sword, storm the castle? Just like that?" 

"I am afraid not. The Master Sword lies at the heart of a forest, surrounded by an enchanted fog. No matter which you go, the fog warps the forest itself, twisting and redirecting your path. We are still devising a way through it."

The sense of relief this provided was followed closely by irritation. Yet another magical force beyond Link's understanding, here to muddy things even more. 

"In the meantime, there is one, or rather four more preparations we must see to. The Divine Beasts." 

Finally, he tore his eyes away from the castle to toss a sidelong look at Mipha. For the most part, he remembered what a Divine Beast was, but their purpose still remained a mystery. They were a weapon of some sort in all likelihood, but how?

"What do they do, exactly? I can't remember." 

"Well, do you recall the Guardian we encountered earlier?" 

Reluctantly, Link thought back to just after the second shrine. The shining beam of light, and the ringing explosions. Doing his best to avoid getting too lost in his thoughts about it, he nodded. 

"Picture that, but much much larger." He really, _really_ didn't want to picture that, not even a little. A battered, half buried Guardian was already enough to leave him feeling disturbed, but one big enough to level a mountain? "Their destructive power is the main asset, but most possess utility of some kind as well. Vah Ruta, for instance, can create an infinite supply of water." 

Ruta. He remembered this one a little better than the rest, perhaps because it was Mipha's. It looked decidedly less intimidating than a Guardian, though something about it still felt off putting, foreboding even. Link couldn't figure out why at first, but when the answer finally hit him, it did so like a charging bull.

Vah Ruta was where he had died. 

Forcing the thought from his mind, he returned his focus to Mipha's explanation. 

"The beasts are more complex than Guardians, so complex they are incapable of operating on their own. Though he may have corrupted them, I do not believe Ganon is capable of truly controlling them without their pilot. Thus, they have all remained dormant for a hundred years, excluding Ruta." 

"But doesn't that mean they're useless now?" 

"That is precisely what I thought at first, but then... the princess spoke to me." Link turned to face her fully now, attention suddenly rapt. "She spoke to you at one point today, did she not?" 

Link nodded once, but he did so adamantly. Zelda truly could project her voice then, all the way from the castle. 

"I believe it takes a great deal of effort on her part, for she speaks only when it is absolutely vital. With what few words she could spare, she begged that I 'free' the Divine Beasts with your help. And though I cannot say I am certain of how we will do this, I do have something of a working theory." 

Evidently, his expectant stare had taken some time to catch up with Mipha. He sat in silence, patiently waiting for her to continue until her eyes widened with realization. 

"Oh! Er, with all due respect, the explanation is somewhat convoluted, and I am not sure you would understand were I to explain it now. It would be easier if I simply showed you when the time comes." 

Link chose to view it as less of an insult toward his intelligence, and more of a testament to how absurd Sheikah technology was. With a somewhat apathetic shrug, he let his eyes wander back out into the distance. 

"So where are they?"

"While not exact, we are roughly at the center of Hyrule now. Far to the southwest lies Vah Naboris, in the Gerudo Desert. To the northwest is Vah Medoh, in the cliffs of Tabantha. Vah Rudania rests upon Death Mountain, the Volcano to the north. And due east is Vah Ruta, submerged in the Eastern Reservoir of Zora's Domain." 

For just a moment, Link's breath caught in his throat. 

"We aren't going back to Zora's Domain, are we? Since you already control Ruta." He knew by her grin that she had noticed his hopeful tone.

"Both fortunately and unfortunately, we are. Ruta has been... stubborn lately, and will only listen to me on occasion. Until just recently, I was unsure as to why, but I think I now know the cause." 

He had accepted ahead of time that his duty to Hyrule would come first and foremost. Though it pained him, things like reconnecting with friends and visiting his childhood home would have to wait until the threat of Ganon no longer hung over the land. But the opportunity to do both at once was one he greatly relished. It was almost enough to make him crack a smile. 

"In all honesty, I cannot deny that I also miss it. I have not been home in months, and I worry for my family just as much as they must for me."

Confused, Link glanced back at her again. 

"Where have you been all this time then?"

And just like that, the bittersweet mood had tilted once more into bitter. Mipha's grin slowly faded, narrowly stopping short of a frown. 

"Being the last living champion tends to attract a lot of attention, typically more bad than good." She began gloomily. "To make a long story short, the pressure was becoming too much to handle, and my life was in danger. Out of desperation and curiosity, I attempted to enter Hyrule Castle." Midway through her story, Mipha stopped to part the sides of her cloak. Not fully, but enough for Link to see the scar running between her stomach and chest. A long, rough slash by the looks of it, made all the nastier by the realization that it was only a reasonable length for someone of her size. Had he suffered that same wound, it could have proved fatal.

"I was lucky to escape with my life." She let her cloak fall back into place, and a sympathetic grimace overtook Link involuntarily. "On the bright side, it appears to have convinced everyone that I am dead. I have spent the past few months wandering the land, never staying in one place for too long and avoiding people when I can. But now that you are awake, it is time to come out of hiding. I do not intend to announce our presence to the whole of Hyrule, but there are some that deserve to know we yet live." 

Sympathy soon turned to fear as the details of what she was saying sunk in. Unless he was wildly misunderstanding everything she had just said, there were people out there seeking Mipha's death. And if they wanted her dead, they almost certainly would want him dead too. Even worse, she had sustained a near fatal injury just trying to set foot in Hyrule Castle. She was triple his size, covered in muscle, and could rip through monsters like they were nothing, yet none of it was enough.

If she wasn't able to do it, how was Link supposed to? Especially now, in such a weakened state, with his own set of internal issues to grapple with. Even if she was right, and he did recover all of his memories and prowess and strength, what then? Even at his peak, he had failed miserably. 

But laying down and dying certainly wasn't an option either. He couldn't blindly give in to fear, knowing how much hinged on him. He alone had been chosen to wield the Master Sword, he alone had been deemed important enough for the Shrine of Resurrection, that had to be worth something. It had to. 

Because if it wasn't, what was?

Gingerly, Mipha laid a hand on his shoulder. This was a gesture Link had rapidly become familiar with in their short time together, something meant to comfort him and set him at ease. But he knew all too well that it meant whatever was about to follow wouldn't.

"I know this must all be quite a lot to take in, especially so soon, but I want you to know something. I am proud of you, Link. I doubt many, if anyone would show the bravery that you are now." 

He could feel his heart stop beating. A light, fluttery feeling that soon turned into a painful constriction. 

"I don't _feel_ brave, Mipha." He sighed wearily. "I have no idea what I'm doing, but if I don't figure it out, everyone dies. I'm not the fearless hero you seem to think I am, I'm just-" 

"Scared?" 

Shamefully, he nodded, and he could feel his shoulder being squeezed as he did.

"Courage is not the absence of fear. Fear is unavoidable, there is no running from it. True courage is knowing that you are afraid, and refusing to let that fear rule you. Very rarely does anyone feel brave, but that does not mean they aren't." 

Gradually, her grip became weaker, and her expression became something between embarrassed and regretful.

"A hundred years ago, the two of us were attacked from behind by a Lynel. In that moment, I was sure that we were both about to die, and I froze. I was so stricken by fear that I could not even bring myself to move. But you threw yourself in front of me without hesitation, and slew it within seconds. It is because of that experience that I know what cowardice is, and that I can say I do not see it in you. You may be afraid, but the fact that you have yet to give up is a mark of courage without equal." 

He wanted nothing more than to believe her. To have the level of blind faith in himself that she did in him. But it was hard, so very hard to shake the thoughts from his mind, like trying to pry an arrow out of bone.

"It's not that easy. To you, I'm the same person I was back then. But to me, it feels like I'm someone else entirely. Like I don't always belong in my own head. I don't trust myself the way you do."

"Then trust _me_ , Link, because _I believe in you._ The road ahead is long and perilous, but know that I will ever be at your side. If you are not strong enough, then I will help you become stronger, and if your burden becomes too heavy, I will carry it with you. We are in this together." 

Somehow, she had done it again. Mipha had found a way to completely rob him of his words. Nothing he could say or do seemed to properly communicate what he was feeling right now, the way his heart threatened to burst from his chest. So instead he simply nodded, and offered a breathless 'Thanks.'

Trust Mipha. That was something he could-, no, _had_ to do. If he couldn't trust her, who could he trust? Maybe he didn't need to live up to the legend that was his past just yet. Maybe, for now, just pushing forward was enough. Taking the journey one step at a time. 

She met his gratitude with a reassuring smile, patting his shoulder one last time before moving her hand away. 

"So then, are you ready?" 

This was it. The beginning of an adventure that would decide the fate of Hyrule, for better or for worse. More than anything, it was daunting, but some small part of him relished the idea of finally leaving the Plateau, and stepping out into the great wide world. He did his best to cling to that small bit of hope for now. 

"Where to first?" 


	11. Hello World

"We must first journey to Kakariko Village." Mipha pressed a fingertip against the slate's mostly blank map, marking a spot roughly 3 times the Great Plateau's length to the east, and a shorter measure north. "This is where most of the remaining Sheikah have made their home, including Impa. Do you remember her?" 

It took Link but a second of deliberation to shake his head. He knew the name, but hardly anything about the person attached to it. 

"She was Zelda's personal aide, and the king's Royal Advisor. The two of you were well acquainted, though not exactly friends." That explained why he had recognized her name earlier. "I have a few things to discuss with her, and I believe seeing her again might do you some good." 

Suddenly, Link's eyebrows pressed together. 

"Wait, how is she still alive? Is she a Zora too?" 

"No no, Impa is part of the Sheikah. They are very similar to Hylians, but tend to live longer."

He was tempted to ask what exactly made them different, but decided it might be easier to just wait and see. Returning to the slate, Mipha dragged her finger about a third of the way northeast from Kakariko. 

"Zora's Domain lies somewhere in this area. In addition to dealing with Ruta and reconnecting with family, I have a few ideas as to how you might regain parts of your memory there." Next, she moved straight south, stopping near the very edge of the slate's map display. It took her noticeably longer to guess the location of this one, but eventually, she settled on a spot. "And here, we have Lurelin Village. A Sheikah technician that lives there is currently working on a way through the Master Sword's fog. Ideally, we would head straight south from Zora's Domain, but that would take us through the Hateno Ruins, which remain infested by Guardians. Instead, we will need to return to the plateau at some point and travel southeast through the Faron Woods." 

The final mark was somewhere toward the upper middle of Hyrule's map. Rather than the colorful boxes used for the previous ones, Mipha opted to place a yellow sword icon on it. 

"And the Sword itself rests here. Do bear in mind these are all approximations, we will be relying more on my knowledge of landmarks than the map for now."

Link nodded slowly, trying and failing to remember any of these places except for Zora's Domain and the Great Plateau. He was studying the distance between each mark in an attempt to estimate their travel time when a thought struck him; now was the perfect opportunity to decipher the Old Man's riddle. 

_"An 'X' painted across the breadth of the Great Plateau. At the end of each line is a shrine, and it is where the 4 meet that you shall find my gifts."_

After a few failed attempts, he begrudgingly accepted that it was impossible to draw a perfect X between the shrines due to their positions. He soon compromised with an Xish series of lines that converged on what appeared to be a set of ruins. In front of them sat a label reading; 

The Temple of Time.

That was about as obvious as it could get. Now, he just needed an excuse to stop there with Mipha. 

"Do you have any questions?" He had a lot, actually. Enough questions to fill a small book. But keeping track of all the information he was being forced to learn and relearn was getting very draining very fast. Maybe it was best to spread those questions out, saving them until they were more pertinent as opposed to cramming everything into his head at once.

"How do we get off the Plateau?" 

Mipha's features split into a frighteningly mischievous smile, and Link was certain he could hear the traces of a stifled laugh. 

"It's a surprise." 

Something told him he wasn't going to like this 'surprise.'

"Does it involve jumping?" 

"It wouldn't be much of a surprise if I told you, now would it?" It definitely involved jumping. 

"Can you at least tell where we're jumping from?" He sighed.

"We are _not_ jumping, if you really must know." She pouted in reply. "Nonetheless, the easiest way down would be the western edge of the Plateau, near the river below Mount Hylia." 

The complete opposite direction from the Temple of Time. Great, that sure made things convenient. There was nothing for it then.

"Can we, uh, stop here first?" He pointed at the temple's name on the map, and Mipha leaned down to get a better look at it, eyes filled with curiosity. 

"Might I ask why?" 

Of course she had to ask. Nothing could ever be simple. Link very heavily considered just telling her about the Old Man, both because he couldn't think of an excuse and because he felt bad lying to her, but then his paranoia welled up again, and he thought of all the unforeseen consequences it could have. Maybe it would all make sense when he got to the temple, or maybe Impa would be able to explain. But for now, he needed an excuse. Something that was both casual enough to avoid being suspicious, but substantial enough that it couldn't be waved aside. Something like...

"It looks cool." 

Immediately, he bit down on his tongue to stop himself from cringing. But to his surprise, Mipha shrugged. 

"I suppose that's as good a reason as any. Alright, but do try to keep it brief, travel becomes much more dangerous at night." 

Barely masking a sigh of relief, Link hooked the slate back to his belt, and rose to his feet. 

"Thanks." 

Mipha nodded amicably, joining him after retrieving her discarded hood from the ground. While Link reattached his backpack and scavenged weaponry, she slid it back into place on her shoulders, adjusting it so that her long head-tail now hung on the outside while the hood was down. It almost bothered him how mundane the concept of a head tail felt, but then, he had seen it before countless times hadn't he? 

The pair set off toward the temple mostly in silence, save for the idle munching of another apple Link had picked along the way. The colossal structure proved to be much farther away than it looked from a distance, owing in part to the ruined pathways and dirt slopes forcing them to take a detour. The walk gave Link time to stew in his thoughts again, namely the realization of how far he'd come since waking up. Just this morning (or early afternoon?) he had walked this very same path, confused and on edge. And while he was still both of those things right now, there was a different flavor to them. Mipha's presence served to alleviate the sense of loneliness and lack of direction, but at the same time stirred concerns about his past and mental state. Of course those concerns would still be there without her, but would not having an answer have been easier than knowing the bitter truth? 

Would he have been better off trading the comfort of familiarity for the efficiency of detachment? Was the Old Man right? Was he really leaning on her too hard? 

Link soon grew frustrated, abandoning the line of thought altogether. Regardless of what he thought, time would tell him the answer soon enough.

When they finally reached the temple, his eyes were drawn first to the crumbling stone stairs below the entrance. There was something profoundly interesting about their faded architecture, the remnants of what must have once been a grandiose work. Alas, he was afforded but a few short seconds to admire them before his attention snapped to another nearby construct. No less impressive than the last, but far more terrifying. Link's entire body tensed up as soon as he recognized the moss-covered plating of a Guardian mere feet away. _Three of them_ , in fact, strewn in various positions before the temple. He stood stock still, afraid even the tiniest wrong move could wake them up, until Mipha gently nudged him from behind.

"These ones have already been scrapped for parts. I doubt any amount of magic would return them to working order now." 

Somehow, he wasn't entirely convinced that was true. Nonetheless, he allowed himself to relax a little, keeping his eyes trained on their rusted forms while he crept past. Only once he was fully through the doorway did he dare to let them out of his sight. 

The inside of the temple looked much the same as the outside. Impressive, but visibly damaged from years of exposure to the elements.

And probably Guardians.

In fact, most of the left hand wall was missing entirely, and the roof sported several jagged holes. But, interesting as it was, none of this was enough to distract Link from what lay at the very end of the room. 

A towering stone statue, surrounded by a series of smaller but otherwise identical replicas. The ceiling above it happened to be one of the few parts that remained in-tact, and yet a bright ray of light shone down on it anyway. Its luminosity was so great that he had to blink several times to convince himself it wasn't just a trick of the light. This was no sunlight, there was something unnatural about it. 

"Do you see that?" He asked warily, eyes still glued to the statue.

"Do I see what?" Mipha responded casually. He pointed toward the statue for emphasis, turning his head just long enough to confirm she was looking.

"That." 

"The Goddess statue?"

'Goddess?'

"The light around it. It doesn't look normal."

There was a long pause where she stared blankly at the statue, visibly growing more confused with each passing second.

"It looks perfectly normal to me. Are you seeing a reflection of some kind, perhaps?" 

Suspiciously, Link paced a little to the left, then back to the right, then left again, but the position of the light never changed. He began to walk toward it, only to have it fade as he did. With each step it grew dimmer and dimmer, until vanishing entirely when he reached the statue. He stopped just in front of the stone 'Goddess', staring at her carved features in silent bewilderment. 

And then she spoke to him. 

_"You who have conquered the shrines and claimed their Spirit Orbs..."_

Her voice was utterly ethereal, unlike anything he had ever heard before. The closest thing he could compare it to was Zelda's, with how it echoed through his very mind, but no Hylian voice could ever match this one's melodic reverb. The light returned as she spoke, shining down upon her visage in such a way that the statue almost appeared to stare back at him. 

_"I can offer you great power."_

Her tone was calm and matronly, but it did little to help Link collect himself. He was so awestruck that all he could think to do was mutter 'What?' breathlessly.

_"It appears you have claimed four Spirit Orbs. In exchange for these orbs, I will amplify your being. So, tell me what it is you desire."_

"What?" He repeated a little louder. "I-I don't understand." 

_"I have the power to restore that which your slumber has taken from you. You need only give the word."_

"My memories?" 

_"Nay. The mind is a fragile thing, too fragile to be tampered with. But the body is another matter."_

The pang of disappointment he felt was somewhat mitigated by Mipha shuffling up behind him. He quickly turned to look at her for some sort of explanation, but she looked just as confused as him. Concerned, even. 

"Is something wrong, Link?" 

With an incredulous scowl, he glanced back at the statue, then Mipha again to confirm it hadn't somehow vanished. 

"You hear her, don't you?" But the concerned look on her face only worsened. 

"Hear who?" 

"The statue. You didn't hear it speaking just now?" 

Without warning, she pressed the back of her hand to his forehead, earning a flinch in the process. 

"Are you feeling alright? Have you had enough to drink?" No, he hadn't actually, but that wasn't important right now. With a gentleness not at all befitting his near-panic, he guided her hand away with his.

"Mipha, seriously." 

"You must forgive me for being skeptical, but Hylia has not spoken to anyone in ages. Not me, not the princess... I fail to see why she would do so now, especially unprovoked." Hylia. That was her name, then?

"I don-"

_"We have not the time for this cavilling, child." Slightly annoyed with her choice of words, Link turned to face the recondite chunk of stone once more. "Tell me, do you desire fortitude or vigor?"_

Fortitude? Vigor? Weren't those more or less the same thing?

"I still don't understand. Who are you?" Mipha appeared in the corner of his vision, standing a little to his left to get a better look at Hylia's statue. He could see her squinting in concentration, like it'd somehow enable her to hear. 

"Are you sure it isn't Zelda again?"

No, it couldn't be Zelda. He recognized her voice, but he didn't recognize this one at all. Not even vaguely. Though, now that he really thought about it, Hylia's voice did somewhat resemble Zelda's. 

"Positive." 

_"I believe the Zora has told you all there is to tell. I seek to aid you in your journey, but I cannot do so if you refuse to make a choice."_

Putting a hand up to his chin, Link stopped to contemplate the two options. If his notoriously spotty memory was correct, Fortitude referred more to literal durability, while Vigor was about stamina. While both were helpful, one seemed a lot more useful than the other given that his current biggest concern was not dying again. How exactly these translated to cryptic goddess magic was beyond him, but he was in no position to pass up free help.

"Fortitude." 

_"Very well. I shall grant you what you seek."_

The mystical light brightened, and for just a moment it shone down on him too. He felt a warmth surge through his body, starting from his chest and flowing from his fingertips before fading into the air. He waited patiently for the change to take effect, examining his body closely as the sensation finished dissipating, but after several very long seconds it became clear that wasn't going to happen.

"I don't feel any different." He noted flatly.

_"Progress is gradual. You may not notice it today, but one day you will. Go, and bring peace to Hyrule."_

There was more he wanted to say, but the light fading once more told him the conversation was at an end. And if his run-in with the Old Man had taught him anything, no amount of protest on his end would change that. He kicked at one of the loose pieces of moss adorning the floor in irritation, slowly rounding back to Mipha. 

"She's gone." 

"How do you know?" She asked tentatively.

"The light's faded, and she sounded done."

"But how do you know she was ever truly there? Are you absolutely certain you were hearing the goddess speak to you?"

What else could it be? It wasn't Zelda, and the statue confirmed Mipha's assessment to be accurate. Hadn't the monks said something about Hylia? He was certain they had, though not specifically what. 

And then it hit him. Link's eyes widened as the pieces snapped together.

"The shrines." He began eagerly. "Remember how I got those weird orbs from them?"

The increasingly perplexed Zora tilted her head, but nodded slowly. 

"That does sound familiar, yes." 

"The statue offered to make me stronger in exchange for four orbs. Each monk mentioned Hylia before giving me their orb. That's how they're supposed to help me."

"Wait, you never said anything about there being monks. There are Sheikah inside the shrines?"

"Yeah. They're dead, I think, but they talk to me like Zelda does."

He could tell from her face that none of this made even the least bit of sense, but he didn't really expect it to. Link barely understood it himself really, but the fact that he could string a coherent explanation together at all was enough for him. 

"Link, you know I trust you, but you must also understand how absurd this all sounds. Zombified Sheikah giving you magical balls of light that you use to barter with a goddess, whom none have been able to commune with in recorded history?" 

"It sounds crazy to me too, but so does a magic bath tub that raises the dead." 

"But if Hylia has been listening all along, why would she choose _now_ to intervene? Now, when it is nearly too late? Princess Zelda spent eleven years participating in all manner of ceremonies and prayers, but the goddess did not deign to answer her even once. I tried to contact her in recent years as well, but suffered the same response. Why would she simply sit and watch while the Calamity occurred?" With each word Mipha became more and more lost in an apparent despair. There was a subtle edge of anger to her voice, hidden just enough that it almost escaped Link's notice. Almost. Reaching a hand behind her head, she laid her tail over her shoulder, and took to anxiously kneading it. An action that would have prompted a smirk from Link, had the two not been so engaged in solving the motives of a goddess. 

Was her power more limited than one might expect? But then, wouldn't she have just said something? Had she tried to help and failed just like everyone else? And how long had it been since the last person to hear Hylia, exactly? The questions bounced rapidly between the walls of Link's skull. 

Why this, why that, why why why...

...was there a box behind Mipha now? 

Wordlessly, he strode past her, and her head followed as he did. It was a wooden chest, old and ratty looking, but a few feet from where they had been standing. Of course, he had been quite taken with Hylia's statue the moment he walked in, but surely not enough that he could've missed it? In fact, with where it was positioned, he would've needed to jump over it to get by. No, this hadn't been there before. Mipha was first to voice the question on their collective minds.

"That hasn't always been there, has it?"

"No." He mumbled. "I swear, it wasn't" The two of them hovered over it apprehensively, both equally unsure as to its origins and contents. Patience running thin, Link kicked it with his foot to confirm it wasn't some sort of trick, but evidently harder than he had meant to. The impact shattered whatever rusty mechanism had been keeping it shut, and the lid fell back to reveal a bundle of wooden sticks.

They were smooth, intentionally filed by someone as opposed to just being pried from trees. With mounting interest, he knelt to retrieve them, and part of the bundle jiggled. The sticks weren't held together around the middle, but rather connected by rope bindings at key junctions. The strange construct looked as if it might snap any second, despite how solid it felt in Link's hands. So, cautiously, he took hold of both ends and started to pull them apart. A long flap of fabric unfurled itself more and more from between the sticks, eventually culminating in a trapezoid. The whole thing was so wide that he needed to spread his arms almost to their limit, far out from his chest just to open it fully. 

It appeared to be some kind of gliding device. Mipha soon circled around him to see, confirming his suspicions herself.

"Is that a paraglider?" 

"Looks like it." He turned it every which way, examining the finer points of its construction. It seemed relatively new, with the wood being smooth and the cloth very clean, if not a bit dusty. 

Link was quick to surmise that this was the Old Man's second gift, the first being his contact with Hylia. But how was it so pristine? Surely a century of being stuffed in a box would leave some manner of wear. Had Mipha brought it up, perhaps? He stopped to examine her reaction as casually as possible, and found her nearly glowering at their newfound contraption. 

"Any idea where this could've come from?" 

"I can only guess." She maundered cryptically. "Seeing as you and I are the only two to set foot on the plateau in years, I would assume it is meant for us." 

On the one hand, she didn't appear to have known about the glider until now. On the other, her sudden shift in mood was undeniably suspicious. It gave the impression that she knew where it had come from just as well as him, and that her feelings on the subject were less than pleasant. Still, it was a good distraction from the headache that was Hylia. Another problem for another time.

"Seems awfully convenient that we'd get it right here, just as we're leaving." 

"Quite." She shot back dryly. "Hesitant as I am to accept this from such clandestine sources, I cannot deny it would make things easier. Instead of exiting to the west and wrapping around, this would allow us to head directly east. Half a day's journey saved, give or take." 

"So what you're saying is-"

"We would have to jump." 

There it was, the inevitable conclusion. Link tugged at the glider's handles twice to ensure it wouldn't tear under stress, but it held firm. 

"You sure it'd hold both of us? There's only one set of handles." 

"One might be all we need. Could you turn around for a moment?" 

Curiously, he did as requested, and was once more met with the familiar sensation of being lifted off the ground. The spark of panic that usually accompanied it had become dull by now, more brief surprise than anything. 

"Hmmm, you aren't terribly heavy. If it can hold our combined weight, you should be able to hang onto my shoulders without issue. In fact, I could even swim with you on my back. We could land in Lake Hylia, travel north up the river, then spend the night at the stable rather than out in the open, all in a fraction of what it would have taken us otherwise- though we would likely need to leave a few things behind for the sake of weight. What do you think?"

"I think I'd like to be put down now." 

"Ah." 

Mipha lowered him to his feet with an embarrassed giggle, apparently over her bout of disdain. Link carefully refolded the paraglider before moving to face her.

"Wouldn't it be faster to walk? I know Zora are aquatic, but you've got legs instead of a tail, right?"

"Of course I have legs, silly." She chortled. "I know it sounds strange, but trust me, I move much faster in the water than I do on land." 

Something about the physics behind that didn't make sense, but then again, he wasn't exactly a scientist was he?

"How much would we need to drop?"

"Either the claymore or the hammer. You would have to carry one while I swim, but they're too big for you to carry both in addition to a spear and a shield." As much as he wanted to object, maybe she had a point. Did he really need three weapons? If one of them was smaller it might be a different story, but having to balance on someone's back (even someone as big as Mipha) sounded like more of a hassle than it was worth. 

Plus, it would be a little rude to refuse given that she was literally carrying him across a lake. 

Sighing wistfully, Link took hold of the sledgehammer's shaft, and slid it out of place. One last reverent look was shared between boy and hammer, before he placed it on the grassy stone floor. The Claymore had come with a strap, making it the more convenient of the two, and would probably have more practical applications anyway. Mipha presented the almost comically long sword to him, and he set to work rearranging the gear on his back. 

There had to be a better way to carry this many things at once. 

"And you're sure you can make it across the lake with me on your back? I only got a passing glance at it earlier, but it looked pretty big." 

"The swimming is the easiest part, actually. The only real complication will be carrying my robe while I do. In fact-" He looked up to find her in the process of transferring a few things from her pockets to the satchel slung over her shoulder. A folded piece of cloth, that grey book again, and lastly the quill that went with it. It was just as she made to remove her hood that Link realized what she was doing, and that he hadn't seen Mipha without her mantle since the calamity. 

Come to think of it, Zora weren't known for wearing much in the way of clothing, were they? He remembered plenty of jewelry, sometimes a sash or scarf, but never anything beyond that. Mipha had only done it for his sake. In fact, why was she still wearing it?

"Why do you still need it?"

She came to a halt with one arm nearly out of its sleeve, tossing him a lopsided frown.

"If you recall, most of Hyrule believes me to be dead. I would prefer to keep it that way." The conversation suffered an awkward lull while he considered how one was supposed to respond to something like that, but her lips twisted into a wry grin before he could finish. "I also enjoy having pockets." 

Mipha's sense of humor was strange, to be sure. 

"Should I be hiding myself too?" Link asked, only partially successful at smothering his fear.

"Yes and no. You should obviously avoid telling anyone we don't know about your name or occupation, but you needn't cover your face. Those old enough to recognize you are either dead or on our side." In one fluid motion, Mipha drew the rest of the coat off her shoulders, punctuating her words with the fluttering of fabric and a languid stretch. "Besides, both of us wearing hoods would attract far too much attention." 

Link had meant to respond with some sort of affirmation, be it a single word or even a nod. But for some reason, that level of mental activity had become very difficult very quickly. It wasn't that his thoughts were slowing down; no, the problem was that they were moving too fast. And more importantly, every one of them revolved around Mipha. 

Her physique was much like his, in a way. Muscular, but not bulky. Toned, but slim. A body forged over a lifetime of swimming and rigorous exercise, accentuated by the pattern of her scales. Red along the outer arms and ribs, but a cream color from the neck down to just above the knee. The lighter shading made her well defined abdomen all the more prominent. Where she differed more greatly from him, however, was in her proportions. There was of course the fact that Mipha was very obviously a woman, but a woman with a strangely long torso and arms, contrasted by short and thick legs. 

Even stranger was the set of gills on her rib cage, and a pair of fins running along her forearms. Several fin-like flaps lined her waist, and two more rested atop her shoulders, forming what resembled epaulettes. The purpose of these was less readily apparent than the gills or arm fins. 

It was all so bizarre, and yet fascinating at the same time, enough so to effortlessly capture his attention.

Right up until Link's thoughts were interrupted by someone clearing their throat.

He flinched, blinking a few times to reorient himself, and found Mipha looking down at him expectantly. She wore an ever so slightly too innocent smile, cloak folded neatly over one arm.

"Thinking again?" she asked politely. All he could do was offer a rigid nod.

"We should be going." He coughed, already partway to the door. 

"I believe the lake is the other way, Link." 

"...Right." 

\-----------------------------

Before leaping from a cliff hundreds of feet off the ground, Mipha suggested they actually test the paraglider first, to ensure it was sturdy enough for both of them. Just outside the gaping hole in the temple's eastern wall was a hill, high enough up to be noteworthy, but low enough that falling from it would mean a bruise or two at most. The ideal testing ground, they decided. 

No matter how much she insisted it wasn't a big deal, needing to hang from Mipha's shoulders was still a touch awkward for Link. Not just because of her tail and trident getting in the way, but a second reason he couldn't quite identify. Considering the alternative was an extra day or so of walking, however, he suffered throughout it as politely as he could. 

The test flight itself went remarkably well, nearly to the point of perfection. The glider seemed to have been made with two people in mind, given its massive span and solid frame, carrying them easily toward the ground. The feeling of gliding through the air was both scary and exhilarating at the same time, liberating in a way that you could never experience while stuck to the earth. Landing had been smooth, though Link expected that to change when their target became the massive lake below the plateau's rim. 

It was a few feet away from said rim that they now stood, staring out at the monumental lake. The whole thing was almost as big as the plateau itself, and surrounded by steep slopes. He knew right away that trying to swim across it himself would be suicide, and that there would be little hope of survival should Mipha lose steam halfway across. 

But he had to start trusting her at some point, didn't he? 

"Are you ready?" she questioned over her shoulder. Link shifted anxiously, trying as hard as possible to hang on without strangling her. 

"Ready." 

She took three steps back, crouching on the third, before taking off into a run. His stomach felt like it had collapsed in on itself the second they left the ground, sailing out into the air. 

At the very least, the water would catch them if they fell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would you believe me if I told you the plateau was only supposed to be four 2.5k word chapters long? And now here we are at chapter 11. Not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing.


End file.
